Country Mouse
by sweet-and-simple
Summary: A set of drabbles centered around the uke country boy, Lee, and seme city boy, Gaara. This is their love and friendship.
1. Study Partner

_This begins a series of drabbles I'm going to be writing. They're random, and have nothing to do with the previous or last chapter… Unless I label them 'part 1, part 2, etc…'. I thought about just making them one-shots and posting them as such, but they have so much in common, I just refer to them as different scenarios in the same story. For this chapter, I don't know what I read, but this was inspired by something… I just don't remember what…_

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* * *

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"_Who first explained "The Doppler Effect", using sound?"_

"_Christian Doppler."_

"_Correct."_

_I am pulled ever so gently down, meeting his lips with a fiery blush across my face. I only hold the kiss for a moment, not wanting him to get distracted, before I pull away. For another second, I look away, nibbling sheepishly at my bottom lip as I stroke his ruby red, unruly thick hair. He settles back onto my lap, arms folded loosely over his belly as he closes his eyes once more in mock sleep, one leg bent with the other stretched out. I sat against the bark of a large oak tree, the bright, hot sun peeking through the yellowing leaves of it, giving a glow to the day as if it were still spring instead of autumn. _

_My knees are bent so he rests partially on my belly and lap, making him more comfortable. My bare feet pat the still green ground, my overly large green T-shirt drooping slightly off of one shoulder as my frayed blue jeans ride up my legs. He wears his usual leather, the tight pants pulled over a pair of black leather boots, a black mesh shirt beneath his leather trench coat. _

_The shadows around his eyes are heavy, the scar on his left temple deep and red, the symbol meaning 'love'. Each of his ears are pierced three times, as well as two more piercings where his left eyebrow should have been, one over his other nonexistent eyebrow, coupled with a lip piercing._

_Impatiently, his blue-green eyes peek out at me, only one opening lazily. I can not help but chuckle as I watch the expression cross his face. With the hand not stroking his hair, I look back to the book before us._

"_Who invented the reflecting telescope?"_

"_Isaac Newton."_

"_Correct."_

_Again, he reaches up languidly, pulling me down into another intimate embrace. His tongue touches my lips daringly, slipping into my mouth without asking. Not that he needed to… _

_I moan, allowing us to get caught up in the kiss for only a moment, then try to break apart so we could continue studying._

'_Try' being the key word._

_Instead of allowing me to do so, he wraps one arm firmly around my neck and holds me to him, his mouth skillful as it plays with mine, our tongues dancing to a tune I am beginning to faintly hear. It takes me another minute, but I manage to separate us._

_If only by a tenth of an inch, so close our lips brush against each other with each breath either of us took. I stare into his heated eyes, now more green than blue as he becomes more lustful. _

"_What is an advantage of the reflecting telescope?"_

_My voice is squeaky, as close to him as I am, captured and held by those beautiful eyes. _

"_no chromatic aberration." _

_He whispers his lips over mine once more, drifts his nose from my chin to my eyes, then comes back to my lips where he kisses me more deeply. I whimper at the gentleness of his touch. _

_I am Lee Rock, an A rate student in Science… Aside from the labs, of course. That is why I am tutoring Gaara Sabaku, a man that has been labeled too terrible to handle. He, despite being one of the most intelligible students at Konoha High, is falling behind in science. Both Mr. Hatake, our science teacher, and I know that he is falling behind because he does not care, not because he needs more teaching behind the scenes._

_Unfortunately, as well as fortunately, I had not thought of that when I had first_ taken on the challenge. I had taken this redheaded devil on, believing that we would help each other on the difficult subject. He, no matter how little he cared for anything else of the subject, has never yet received anything less than an A on his labs.

Getting this man to behave was impossible, but I had managed to get him to participate by giving him treats that he enjoyed. I had not known that his father had neglected him as a child, but I had known that he enjoyed touches. So, every time he had answered one of my questions, even if incorrectly (he had not liked me a bit, but I knew that he knew the true answer), I had brushed his hair. If he did answer one correctly, I would hug him. Somehow, we had evolved into kissing every time he answered something correctly. Every time we check his grade each week, to learn if he's been doing his work and passing his tests, through Mr. Hatake, he sleep over at my house… in my bed (It would have been at his house… in his bed… But he does not wish for me to be anywhere near his father, for reasons he has yet to tell me). We do not do anything inappropriate, he just likes to cuddle, is all…. Well, _was_ all.

Every time I pass a lab with a poor grade, he takes me out for the spiciest curry in this country side town, which is me favorite. I do not know why he spoils me so nicely when I just barely pass, but he does have another plan for when I pass fairly high. If I pass the lab with flying colors, we go to my house to make it homemade, which is the best of all!

For the three months we have been paired up as study partners, this system has worked wonderfully… Up until a month ago with the evolution from innocent touches had turned into this intimacy. Now, we are lovers as well as buddies.

"Who took credit for creating the first telescope?"

"Galileo Galilei."

This time, the book falls from my hands, landing with a thump at my side, as he sits up, annoyance showing in how the skin above his eyes draw together.

He grabs me, dropping himself against the tree trunk instead as he attempts to swallow me through my mouth. I grip his shoulders tightly, moaning as I feel him nearly succeed.

He shifts, wrapping an arm about my waist, then pulling me onto his lap. He caresses my raven black hair, breathing deeply, contently, as he pulls away slightly, eyelids drooping. I stare at him, feeling the red heat that bathes me entirely, as he shifts me on his lap to make us both more comfortable.

He picks the book up and hands it to me, his stormy green eyes calm and sleepy.

"I find this position more convenient."

I yelp as he thrusts his hips up against the curve of my buttocks, making my face feel as if a fire had truly been created there. I whine as I catch sight of his dangerous smirk.

It was the one and same that could make me shiver with pleasure as well as pant with excitement. At this moment, I shiver, my eyes focusing on those pale lips.

"For more than one thing…"

He leans forward, drifting his lips up the column of my throat as he runs his tongue along the same path. I can only arch into the contact, one of my hands gripping his leather covered thigh.

"Next question…"

I whine again as he leans away, smug on his face as he eyes me. I look back at him with a pout.

"That was hardly nice, my redhead devil!"

"I can't even list the number of things you do a day that aren't nice, country mouse."

He calls me country mouse because that is truly what I am. I was born and raised on this country side. I work hard when I am not learning with strong determination. Konoha is the high school for this county, which means that I am not the only one as such, but I am the only one he refers to as 'country mouse'. Just as I am the only one who can call him redhead devil. He is a city boy, originally from Suna High, until he was relocated here. At first, I had been offended by the name; now, I accepted it with relish, feeling my heartbeat quicken every time the name was uttered.

It had once meant that he was mocking me. Now, it meant that he was loving me.

He rubs his nose against the column of my throat, opposite of the trail he had made earlier. I can hear him breathing deeply, his other hand caressing the small of my back.

"Wearing those tight jeans, you always know the most opportune moment to bend over or reach for something… That sly little teasing light that enters your black eyes… There is nothing about you that's nice except your heart, country mouse."

Shakily, I flip back to the page we were at, gasping slightly as he begins to nibble on my collarbone.

"What are the… th-three types of telescopes…"

I moan the last word, unable to stop myself. The one hand that had been at the small of my back begins to intimately rub at my jean covered buttocks. The other hand touches against my chin and pushes it gently upwards, allowing him to suck on my neck.

As of lately, it has become increasingly difficult to get him to pay attention for the half a hour a day we study with. Each day is harder than the last, yet I can not find any regret in me for the lost time.

"Refracting, Reflecting, and…"

He lifts his lips to mine, pecking my lips twice, before he presses more solidly against them. He pulls away after seconds go by, a trail of saliva continuing to connect us.

"Radio."

A beeping begins, making my eyes widen. His smirk grows once more. He pulls away one hand to flip back the trench coat sleeve slightly, removing his other hand to click the watch alarm off.

"Studying time is over."

Yes… Time does fly away from us when we are studying…

Yet again, I yelp, gripping him tightly, as my world spins suddenly on it's axis, landing me on the grassy floor with him above me. He thrusts his hips more fully against mine, causing me to throw my head back, my mouth gaping open as I continue to hold myself to him.

"And I'm hungry."

I whimper as I wrap my arms about his shoulders, arching into his devilish teasing, my mouth easing open as he pushes my T-shirt out of the way of his wandering mouth.

"If y-you are hun-nn-gry, we sh-should g-get lu-unch!"

Of course, I know which hungry he is speaking of, but I can not stop myself from teasing him. Even if it prompts him to nip with punishing force at the sensitive flesh of my inner arm, before he continued to follow the length of it to my wrist, licking the wild pulse there. My shirt, with it's wide head opening, had been pushed off of that arm so it was tangled about my waist, my other arm trapped within it's folds.

"Mmm, I like the treat I'm having right now, country mouse."

He nudges my legs further apart, so he can fit more comfortably over my hips and belly, his hot, burning blue eyes look up into mine, holding me with ease.

He licks his lips, making me moan again, as they tilt slightly up into a cackle that sends shivers down my spine.

"Anything you had in mind?"

I run my hand shyly down his chest, then follow them back up, smiling softly all the while. I free my other hand so I can repeat the caress.

"No… This… is what I wanted."

"Good."

He noses his way from my inner wrist back to my face where he nuzzles our cheeks together, then unites our lips once more. It is infinitely gentle, speaking a thousand words that can never be spoken aloud, or relate to the lust we are sharing.

"Gaara…"

My whisper against his lips does not go unnoticed. He lifts his eyes back to mine, his gaze searching. His thumb wipes away a stray tear that runs from my right eye.

"I love you… _so much."_

He kisses each of my eyes shut, so I can only feel what he does to me. I know what he is doing, however. I know he has difficulty with saying such things, but he has learned how to say even more powerful words without uttering a sound.

No, I seem to be the only one who makes noise when he shows his love for me. Yet, I think that is what he enjoys about this slow loving. I know because I can feel his smile against my belly.

* * *

Originally, I was positive this was going to be a multi chapter thing. I'm not entirely certain what inspired this, but I do know that this is more difficult then I thought… It makes me sad that it became an one-shot, but I can't see anything else to it. And, yes, Lee's a boy. YAY!

Anywho, I actually find this sad… Why? Because I think of this story as a prequel to 'I am Gaara Sabaku'. If no one understands why that's sad, then you can ask or read it.


	2. Hurt and Comfort

Once upon a time, they had been a happy, loving couple. Now…

The raven haired boy's smile was sad as he watched his brunette boyfriend kiss another person. To be precise, his boyfriend was kissing his best friend, Tenten, a girl with her long brown hair tied up into two buns on either side of her head, shame in her brown eyes every time she met the raven haired boy's eyes.

He knew she didn't want to hurt him like this, going behind his back with his boyfriend, but he knew she couldn't help it. He had tried, once upon another time, to get his best friend and the brunette together, Tenten's crush on him was so great. It had backfired, and he, instead, had ended up with the brunette.

The brunette in question had unique lilac eyes, a pale complexion, and money to spare, as well as pride. The raven had never cared for the other's money, nor had he been offended by his pride, but challenged.

No, he didn't hate Tenten for going behind his back with his boyfriend… He didn't even hate his boyfriend. No, he hated himself. There had to be something wrong with him that, after only two months, his boyfriend didn't even bother to hide his affair anymore. The raven had known that his boyfriend had been cheating on him for a month alone, yet this was…

This was tearing him in two.

There were pitying gazes all about him, whispered woes spoken to him, but he didn't listen. He just turned his eyes away, tears welling up in his obsidian eyes at the betrayal.

Was it because he was a country boy? He worked in his uncle's fields, which meant that he wasn't the most wealthy around, nor the most intelligent… Was it because he hadn't given in to his boyfriend? Time and time again, he had had to push the brunette away after a make out session, telling the other that he was not ready to go that far yet.

With the last of his pride, he stood from the lunch table and left the cafeteria, the large room being used as a study hall, choking back sobs that tried to escape him. He had seen this coming, so it should not hurt this bad… So why did it?

"Lee…"

He didn't turn around, even as he twisted his head over one shoulder to look sideways over his shoulder. Tears slipped down from his eyes, as he peeked at the redhead from under his eyelashes.

The redhead had two piercings in his left eyebrow, one in his right, as well as a lip piercing and three in each ear. He wore a mesh shirt with nothing over it, despite it being dress code for something more appropriate, as well as baggy black pants over bright red converse. There was a red tattoo of a kanji symbol over his left eye, the delicately done work meaning 'love' in Japanese. His blue-green eyes pierced right through Lee as the redhead stared him down from the five or so feet that separated them.

"Did he hurt you?"

Lee sobbed, clenching his teeth together. The bell had gone off minutes ago, meaning that everyone else, aside from the stray student, were in class. There was no one else in the hall besides them.

His overly large faded forest green shirt drooped off of one shoulder as the redhead came forward and gripped that shoulder, his blue-green eyes becoming demanding as he continued to stare into Lee's obsidian eyes.

"Did he hurt you, Lee?"

Lee spun around and burrowed himself into the taller boy's chest, wrapping his arms around the redhead's sides and gripping tightly as his shoulders began to shake. The redhead didn't pause in holding Lee in his arms in return, gently running one long fingered hand through Lee's bowl cut, drifting his sand pale lips over the crown of his head.

"… Yes…"

With the admission, Lee went limp against the redhead, using all of his strength to not start screaming his pain, as his shoulders began to shake even more strongly.

For a moment, the redhead continued to stare down at the crown of Lee's hair, his teeth clenched as well, but not in pain, as hatred danced in his blue-green orbs.

He took a calming breath, pulled the slightly smaller boy closer to him, and rested his chin on top of Lee's head, closing his darkly shadowed eyes for a moment.

"It's alright, Lee, I have you."

"Gaara…"

Lee turned his face upward, biting deeply into his bottom lip as he moved to meet the redhead's eyes, so much pain and shame in his own.

"Did I do something wrong? I-I… I don't know what happened, why this started happening-"

"Shut up, Lee."

The harsh tone in his friend's voice shushed the raven haired boy, as he leaned slightly away to meet blue-green orbs more easily. There was anger flickering in those eyes, something overly familiar to Lee.

They had been friends since they were 15, when Naruto, Lee, and a few others, had saved the redhead from an unfair gang fight that Gaara had had the misfortune of being caught up in. That would make them friends for three years now. They had first met when Lee had been 13, but that meeting hadn't gone so well, ending with Lee being on the receiving end of the redhead's infamous fury. When they had met two years later, however, their friendship had clicked into place, Gaara having calmed his bloodlust somewhat with the help of another blonde friend of theirs. Now, at 18, Gaara at 17, their friendship was just as strong as could be believed, even more so with the fact that the redhead chose few friends to be as close to him as Lee and their blonde friend were. Naruto was close to Gaara like Tenten was close to Lee…

Yet… Naruto had not ever betrayed Gaara in such a way as this.

Lee shook away the condemning thought, tucking his face into Gaara's chest, too short to reach any higher on the younger male. He, himself, was fairly tall, and had been taller than Gaara up until last year. The redhead had shot up in height, making him the one that was three inches taller.

The silence was held for two minutes, then a teacher wandered down the hall and spotted them. She took one look into the redhead's eyes, saw the blankly calm look in his eyes, then to the shaking boy in his arms, and walked away. Had the smaller boy not seemed so upset, she would have told them to go to class; since he was, however, she could wait another five minutes before she would check to see if they're still there.

Gaara's eyes returned to Lee, then he sighed deeply, feeling Lee rub his face against his chest, then settle with his ear over his heart.

"This isn't your fault, Lee. I don't ever want to hear you blame yourself again for that ass wipe's mistakes, do you understand? He didn't deserve you to begin with… Lee, what did he do to you?"

He did a once over on the smaller boy, his blue-green eyes roaming over whatever flesh he could see. He saw no bruises, nor any scratches. Had he seen a mark out of place, he would hunt down that fucking Hyuuga and teach him how _not_ to handle a lover.

Against him, Lee couldn't help but snort in dry humor.

"I-I've kn-know that he was ch-cheating on m-me… But he c-came out with it t-today… He's been going behind my back with Tenten!"

The last part was a harsh whisper, coupled with another ripping sob.

Gaara's arms tightened around Lee, fury dancing a dangerous tango in his eyes with hatred.

"Country mouse, you're blaming yourself for him cheating on you with your best friend?"

Gaara said with a growling tone. Lee didn't even show fear, instead, he pushed himself closer, huddling himself against the redhead.

"Who else is there to blame? I-I'm so…"

He just barely managed to whisper that, but couldn't go another word on. He shut his eyes tightly, hot tears still slipping through. Gaara's arms tightened punishing around him.

"You're so abso-fucking-lutely amazing, Principal Tsunade lets you get away with things no one else can, and she hates half this school. You don't have a hateful bone in your body, and you haven't turned one person away that's come to you, even if they treated you like shit in the past. Wild animals love you like they're your pets."

He pulled at the hair at Lee's neck, forcing the older boy to look up into his eyes. In the blue-green orbs, truth and anger burned. Lee's obsidian ones widened in surprise, still hazed over with a sheen of tears.

"You're bright and loving, giving and loyal. Forgiving, and hardworking. That son of a bitch should have never touched you in the first place."

Lee blinked at the last sentence, startled by the hatred that flared in his friend's eyes when he said it. Then he couldn't help but smile, the flow of tears slowing as his eyes closed in happiness for a moment.

"Gaara… Thank you for saying such nice things about me…"

"Don't thank me for saying the truth."

Again, Lee blinked in surprise. A thin blush tinted his cheeks as he gulped, meeting the strange swirling emotions in his friend's eyes with confusion.

"No, it is not… I am hardly that great of a person as you make me sound, Gaara."

Gaara's eyes became heavy lidded as he held Lee's obsidian eyes, making the blush across Lee's cheeks darker.

"You're right… You're even a greater person than I make you sound. Now, let's go kick his ass for making the biggest mistake of his life, shall we?"

Lee, against his will, chuckled in amusement, his hands tangled in the mesh of Gaara's skin tight shirt.

"No, no… Even if he betrayed me, Tenten does love him… He is hardly worth it."

A dangerous smirk came over Gaara's face.

"What was that last part?"

Lee sealed his mouth shut, though the edges of it were turned up in humor. Gaara's smirk only grew, moving his hands to Lee's sides where he began to poke the older boy. Squealing, Lee attempted to wiggle his way out of the redhead's hands, pushing at the taller boy's shoulders and yelping with laughter.

"What was that last part?"

Instead of answering, Lee ran his fingers down the back of Gaara's neck, causing the other to hunch his head to his back in an attempt to stop Lee. The tickle war continued for only a minute more, Lee no longer struggling to escape, but attempting to beat the redhead at his own game, as Gaara's hands traveled to more sensitive areas in search of winning, namely, the soft flesh of Lee's neck, which was even more effective than on himself. With the yelp that came from that action, the classroom next to them opened and the teacher at the door told them to get to class or go to the office for misconduct.

Lee blushed a solid red as he grabbed his friend's hand, apologized to the teacher, and walked hurriedly down the hall. A thought occurred to him at the corner, his expressive eyebrows drawing together. He turned to the redhead walking slightly behind him, still holding his hand. That was usual, seeing as how Lee was very affectionate and liked to have any modest touch of skin with any of his friends. Hugs, kisses on the cheeks, hand holding, petting hair… He had done it all with each and every one of his friends, even having some of them rest on him when they were particularly tired or bored. It made him sad and ecstatic in the same breath that Gaara was so attention hungry, seeing as how every one of those actions, he had done many times over with the redhead.

"Why are you not in class, Gaara?"

The redhead blinked, coming out of whatever haze he went into whenever Lee touched him for long distances of time. He met Lee's curious black eyes, and frowned seriously.

"I knew you needed me."

Lee's eyes wandered from one blue-green orb to the other, surprise in his own. Just barely, a tint of red could be seen across his cheeks as he smiled softly, a beautiful smile that stretched from cheek to cheek. In that moment, anyone who looked upon the raven haired boy, would have to have smiled as well, because the innocence and love in that expression would have been too much for them fight. Gaara himself was unable to stop his face from softening slightly.

Leaning up, Lee kissed Gaara on the cheek, then wrapped the younger boy in a bear hug, causing the taller to almost feel his ribs creak with the force of it. Lee, for as slim as he looked, was as strong as an ox, and worked like seven of them. Despite the choking feeling, he once more wrapped his arms around him, holding Lee to him as he closed his eyes contently for just a moment. When Lee leaned away, releasing his friend, Gaara's face was as blank as it was any other day.

"Thank you, Gaara… I did need you!"

He moved to walk away, still a small haunting in his eyes, but not a tear to shed anymore. However, the hand that had been awkwardly holding his the whole time halted him, making him look back at the redhead with bewilderment.

"I get to ask a question now…"

Gaara stepped as close to Lee as he could, so close, their chests touched. If Lee took this as an intimidation or a flirt, he didn't let on; instead, he continued to gaze up at Gaara curiously.

"Are you going to move on? I know you told me a long time ago that you would have one lover for life, so are you going to?"

Lee blinked, remembered the time that Gaara was talking about, and frowned.

"Gaara… I never became his… lover…"

This time, it was the redhead who was surprised, his eyes widening momentarily, before his nonexistent eyebrows drew together.

"What?"

Lee nodded, looking away as he rubbed his one arm with the hand not holding Gaara's. He missed the relief that showed through the redhead's eyes as he did this, but not the killing rage as he looked back. It startled him enough that he raised a hand and set it against the taller boy's face, concern in his eyes.

He had learned that one of the quickest ways to calm the fiery willed redhead was by touch. Predictably, Gaara turned his face into the touch, even as the rage lingered in his eyes.

"I'll kill him."

Lee frowned, expressive eyebrows drawing together questioning.

"Why? I shall get better, Gaara! Day by day, my youth shall return to me until I am as fine as before! Uncle Gai said that it is usual for one to not find true love the first time around, but must always be patient for it's appearance!"

Gaara peered at Lee as the other smiled proudly, showing off pearly white teeth, through heavy lidded eyes.

There had been more than one day that Neji had boasted about having sex with Lee. The number of people heard it were few, and tight lipped. Hence, why no one had heard differently from the two being a healthy couple. He had always been among them, namely because the Hyuuga was able to read people like books. Despite his stoic manner, the rat's ass and Naruto, the blonde who couldn't tell Lee's uncle from any other man wearing green spandex, knew that the boy in front of him meant a lot more to him than he let on.

The fact that that son of a bitch had been lying, had never actually been inside the raven haired boy, both calmed him and infuriated him. Lee was still a virgin… but no one else that had heard the Hyuuga's lies knew that.

"Gaara?"

The raven haired boy tilted his head curiously at Gaara, frowning once more as he drew the Sabaku out of his deep thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

Gaara took a deep breath, took Lee's hand from his face and kissed the palm of it, making Lee blush as his frown grew, and began walking again, still holding Lee's hand.

"I am…"

_Now…_

As the silence increased, depressing thoughts began to descend anew on Lee, making his eyes become more haunted. When they had been conversing, it had been easy to distract himself from the fact that his boyfriend had not even broken up with him yet, but was already openly dating his best friend…

Was that a subtle way of saying 'It is over, so do not even talk to me.'?…

"After school, how about we go to that curry place you love?"

Lee looked up, startled out of his thoughts, into Gaara's inquiring eyes. A little of that sadness edged away, leaving behind a glow within himself.

He did not know why, but being with his redhead friend made him just as happy, sometimes even more so (as shocking and bewildering as that is) than being with Neji had been.

"I would like that, thank you very much, Gaara."

Because lunch dates were usual between him and Gaara as well.

* * *

DX I know, I know… It's badly written…

This is how I would like to see the two characters… True, this was OOC for both of them, and Lee's vulnerability was sad, but this is how I would wish them to be. I do not know why, but I love it when Gaara calls Lee a country mouse!

Awww… They're just like a couple already.


	3. Seal a Promise with a Kiss

"Why are you always alone?"

The five year old child looked up at the high pitched question, sleepless eyes looking to a boy who was rubbing his eyes, yawning widely. Instead of answering, he turned away, his hands folded beneath his head as he stared at the ceiling of the kindergarten room. Beside him, the other boy yawned again, setting his head back onto the redhead's chest.

He never slept for nap hour, usually taking his pillow, teddy bear, and blanket into the furthest corner of the darkened room away from the other children. Today, however, this boy had followed him to his spacey corner, setting himself down by his side, then using his shoulder as his pillow. His first three shoves at the boy had been unsuccessful. The boy had not left him be, nor cried, instead cuddling closer to him until the redhead became his teddy bear, the other boy's arms wrapped around his waist and using his chest as his pillow instead of his shoulder.

That had been a half a hour ago, meaning that the redhead was coming close to pummeling the black eyed boy till he screamed in pain. However, something kept stopping him. Whether it was their kindergarten teacher, Mr. Maito, watching him as if he could read his mind, or the _caring_ he could feel wafting off of the boy with the braid, he didn't know.

"You know, you don't have to be alone."

Against his chest, the older boy's hand tangled itself in the fabric of the redhead's light blue blanket, the other hand curled around the redhead's arm that was holding onto his teddy bear.

"I wanna be your friend…"

The redhead scowled down at the crown of black hair, his hands gripping his hair tightly as anger flared in his blue-green eyes.

Finally with success, he shoved the other boy off of him, making the raven cry out in surprise, rubbing at his shoulder as he sat up and looked at the redhead with confusion in his eyes.

"Gaara, do not harm the other students!"

The harsh whisper was so loud, the three kids closest to their teacher flinched, sniffled, then fell asleep. Gaara sneered at the teacher, picking up his blanket and pillow and moved to another corner. He turned hateful eyes back on the raven when he heard the pitter patter of his feet following him. Behind him, the boy's large obsidian eyes stared at him guilelessly, his green blanket dragging on the ground and his green pillow held against his chest.

"Shoo, mouse, shoo!"

With that, he turned away from the raven, missing the hurt frown that came on the other's face.

"I'm not a mouse! I'm a dragon!"

He spun back towards the raven, his teeth clenched and his one hand a fist in his hair, the other one squeezing his teddy bear.

"You're a dumb country mouse!"

The hurt was clear in the boy's obsidian eyes.

"I'm not a dumb country mouse!"

"If you were a smart one, you'd run and hide!"

"Lee Rock never runs and hides!"

"You're stupid!"

"Yeah? Well-well… Your hair is red!"

"You're stupid!"

"I'M NOT STUPID!!"

By this time, their teacher had came over and gripped each of them by one arm and pulled them away from their stand off, the other children in the room awake and crying over their lost sleep.

"YOU SHALL BOTH BE PUNISHED FOR THIS UNYOUTHFUL DISPLAY!"

He turned to the raven with sadness in his eyes, causing the child to tear up as he met the teacher's eyes. Mr. Maito gave a deep sigh of regret.

"I expected better from you, Lee."

Looking like a kicked puppy, Lee didn't fight as he and Gaara were taken from the room, down the hall, and into the 'bad room'. The 'bad room' was reserved for children that were making too much trouble to stay in class, a room off from the principal's office.

Lee was sat in one corner facing the wall, while Gaara was set in another one facing the wall.

Gaara stared blankly at the wall, holding his teddy to his chest as he imagined the pain he was going to put the boy across the room in. He rubbed one ear of the tattered bear, burying his nose into it's face as he did so.

Shukaku understood him, at least… He never talked or hurt him or did anything that hurt him. Shukaku lets him hug him and hide from the outside world…

"I'm sorry…"

Gaara didn't turn around towards the sniffling voice, but his teeth grinded together in sign of anger. What _was_ that kid's problem?

"What are _you_ sorry for?"

His snide tone was met with another choked sob.

"I'm s-sorry f-for whatever I s-said that made y-you ang-gry…"

Gaara's eyes glared at the wall as if it were the raven haired boy before him. He didn't say another word. There were a lot of kids that said that to him while they were crying, usually because they had made him angry and he had been the one to make them cry. He didn't care…

"I-I really wanna be y-your friend!"

Regardless of the rules of the 'bad room', he spun around in the stool set out for them and snarled at the back of the other boy's head from across the room.

"Stop saying that!"

Startled, the other boy looked over his shoulder at him, his black eyes swollen and tears flowing freely down his face, his shoulders still slightly shaking and his teeth held together. He sniffed as he tried to rub the tears from his face.

"S-stop s-saying what?"

"You don't wanna be my friend!"

The raven blinked, confusion falling onto his face.

"I don't?… Yes I do!"

"No you don't! You're just lying to me so you can hurt my feelings like everyone else does!"

The raven stared at him, horror feeling his eyes. In a blink of his eyes, the raven was before him, tears forming in his eyes again as he held the redhead's shoulders in his hands, practically sitting on the younger boy's lap.

"Everyone hurts you!? That's not right! When you make a friend, they should always, always, _always_ be there for you! For forever and ever and ever!"

The raven squeezed the redhead to his tiny chest, twining his thin arms around the redhead's small shoulders, the teddy bear getting caught between them.

"I promise, I won't ever, ever, ever hurt you! When I make a friend, it's a friend for life!"

Gaara sneered, trying to shove the boy off of his lap.

"You're lying!"

"I promise I'm not!"

"Prove it!"

His clear blue-green eyes shrank to pinpoints, flabbergasted and paralyzed. The older boy separated their lips with a loud smacking sound, a proud smile on his tan face.

"Mr. Hatake says there's no better way to make a promise than with a kiss!"

The redhead didn't say anything. Not because he didn't want to, but because there was nothing he _could_ say. He touched his fingers to his tingling lips as he looked down at Shukaku, eyebrows he didn't have drawing together in confusion.

Shukaku had never been able to do that. He had never seen anyone do that, actually. His mommy had died giving birth to him, something his family never failed to remind him, and his family never brought any of their interests home with them, seeing as his brother and sister were still children as well. The concept of a 'kiss' was entirely new to him.

He looked back up into the raven's innocent black eyes, eyeing the elder's large smile.

"You're still a dumb country mouse."

The raven's face fell, hurt entering his eyes once more, his mouth opening to defend himself, as Gaara sighed.

"But I guess you're my dumb country mouse."

Lee blinked once…

Twice…

Then squealed with joy as he hugged both Gaara and Shukaku tightly to his tiny chest, his childish antics making Gaara stare blandly at the opposite wall.

"I'm gonna be your country mouse for forever!"

Lee kissed Gaara again, naïve innocence practically radiating off of him. Gaara lifted Shukaku from his lap up into Lee's attention, his eyes blank as he waited. Lee giggled as he kissed the teddy bear's plastic nose.

"This is the beginning of the bestest friendship ever!"

* * *

13 years later…

"Hello! Welcome to Konoha High!"

The raven haired teen waved frantically in the brunette's face, his obsidian eyes shining with joy. The lilac eyed teen scowled as he met the excited boy's largely glistening smile.

The boy had obsidian eyes, almost perfectly round, with palely tanned skin, his raven hair cut into a bob cut about his head. He wore tight blue skinny jeans, faded and tattered by use, and a forest green shirt that just touched the hem of his pants. Overlapping the blue skinny jeans, orange legwarmers fell over scratched blue sandals.

He was a country hick if the new kid had ever seen one. He knew moving to the country had been a bad idea…

"Who are you?"

The brunette's voice held all the ice of an aristocrat, his lilac eyes degrading the boy before him with ease. Instead of being deterred, the raven smiled even wider, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"I am Lee Rock! I have been sent to lead you to your first period class! You are Neji Hyuuga, are you not?"

Neji sneered, disbelief on his face.

"There must be a mistake…"

Lee frowned, reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper, and looked at the letters there. He looked back to Neji with the smile back on his face.

"No, there is no mistake! Principal Tsunade sent me here to take you to your first class!"

After another moment, Neji cursed under his breath, then stepped aside.

"Then get me there."

Lee frowned at the rude tone, but said nothing as he did what he was told. Along the way, he told the newcomer everything there was to learn about the school, the town, the life of the citizens, his life. In the space of three minutes, Neji was clawing at his temple and already cursing the school, disgust in his eyes as he stared at the boy's back.

"Can you shut the fuck up for four minutes? I don't care about you, this school, or this god forsaken town."

Lee paled as he gaped at Neji over his shoulder. He shut his mouth as he turned his back once more on the Hyuuga, his shoulders tense.

"Sorry…"

As it turned out, they had first and third period together. It didn't take long for Lee to start talking to Neji again, even if the Hyuuga started out as an unwilling participant in the one sided conversations. Over time, however, he began to enjoy the raven haired boy's attention, then began liking it for reasons that would have had him disinherited. Lee always seemed to wear shirts that were at least one size too big, slipping off of his shoulder. He had a tendency of helping others out by reaching for fallen items… wearing those tight skinny jeans… It was clear that Lee was a man, but _damn_, that boy had an ass on him.

It didn't take a month before he knew he wanted the raven haired boy. It only took him three days, however, to find that he wasn't available. Gaara no Sabaku, the third most dangerous man aside from Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, picked Lee up from class after both first and third period, as far as Neji had observed. The first two days, he had thought them friends, seeing as how Lee had already glomped a number of other people, including the teacher. Nothing about Lee embracing the redhead had been out of place. Third day, however, he had connected eyes with the redhead, had seen his glare, then was witness to one of the hottest kisses he had ever before witnessed. He had been the only to gawk at the sign of affection.

For the month after that incident, he had given it no thought but disgust, certain that what the two were a part of was filthy. Then his want had came into play. That had been when he had opened his ears, listening to the gossip around him to learn more.

Lee Rock had been an orphan up until he was around 13, the first in the town to be successfully adopted by a gay couple. In elementary, middle, and high school, he had been in the choir. Apparently, the boy had the voice of an angel; Neji knew this first hand because the raven would start singing beneath his breath when he would daze off. Gaara no Sabaku had an influential family that couldn't give two shits about him, but he was still first to inherit. His ability rested in art, having won a number of contests in the school. Again, Neji knew the redhead had talent because his pictures lined the wall. Gaara wasn't selling his art, but if he had been, Neji knew that he would have had to buy at least one of the prints, even if he hated his fucking guts. He knew to appreciate good art.

Lee Rock and Gaara no Sabaku had known each since kindergarten, the closest friends that had ever be seen because they had only had each other. No was certain how their friendship had started. The only two people that had followed the two up since that point said that they had been waken up from naptime by their shouting, then they had been taken to the 'bad room'. When they had been let out, they were each other's shadow. From that point on, there wasn't Gaara unless there was Lee, and vice versa.

A story he had heard from another source, a pink haired girl named Sakura, stated that the redhead had nearly been thrown out of first grade for attacking his teacher because he had just learned that he and Lee would not be able to see each other at _all_ during the school day, having different classes, lunch periods, and playtime. Another witness, this one in Lee's class, at the time, said that the raven haired boy had done well enough for the first two days… then he had became withdrawn, looking like a kicked puppy every time playground and lunch came around.

Another gossip said that the two hadn't been able to bear more than eight hours apart up until seventh grade. Then they were able to spend 12 hours apart… Mostly because Lee had finally been adopted by his kindergarten teacher, and had been allowed to have sleepovers. Why Gaara had never been able to have Lee over was a sensitive subject.

In ninth grade, a teen had walked into the boy's bathroom and saw the two in the middle of the makeout session, Lee held between the redhead and the tile wall. The next day, they had walked openly down the hall, doing PDA all the way to each of their classes.

What gossip didn't have to tell them was that their love was hitting a rough patch. Middle of the year, months after he had begun lusting for the raven haired boy, there was a loud argument between the two right outside their third period room, mainly one sided as Lee's voice rose above the in between class chaos, Gaara taking his words with growled and snarled words and insults.

He had thought, after the argument was over and the two had gone down opposite halls, tears running down Lee's face, that he could step in. Lee was vulnerable and heartbroken. He didn't care how long before they bounced back together, as long as there was a space of time where Lee needed someone else in his bed.

Over a span of a week, Lee became his dog, following him around like a lost creature with kicked puppy eyes. Had he been getting what he wanted from the boy, he would have been content to let him do so. Except he wasn't getting ass. He wasn't even getting to Lee's _house_. He was the shoulder Lee was crying on.

By the end of that week, however, Lee had invited him over to his house. His fucking lucky day. He had looked at Lee's welcoming smile, and damned waiting till then. Trapping Lee between him and the wall, he had been an inch from touching lips to the surprised stiff boy. An inch, however, was the closest he had ever gotten.

"Don't touch _my_ country mouse."

On the ground, his long brunette hair mussed from the fall, he cursed as he sat up on his elbows, glaring up at the redhead as he rubbed one hand to his throbbing cheek. Lee remained against the wall for another moment, his features frozen in startled surprise, then finally looked down to Neji with horror in his eyes, a fist flying to where Neji's face had been, a delayed reaction.

Both the redhead and Neji ignored it, glaring at each other instead.

"_Your _country mouse? He was my dog for a week while you went off being a child."

But the redhead had stopped listening to him, leading the raven haired boy away by a grip on his arm. Lee looked back at him only once, and that was with a deep expression of betrayal on his face, before he turned back and stepped closer to the redhead.

It didn't take an hour before gossip began anew. The school's gay couple was back together. How did they know? A teen had walked into the art room during lunch break just to see Lee on one of the tables, his arms wound around the redhead's neck, as they went on into their own world of bliss. No one was surprised, not really.

With couples that have known each other as long as those two have known one another, it had only been a matter of time before they got back together.

In the art room, Lee separated his lips from Gaara's for only a moment, looking into the redhead's heated blue-green eyes. He laughed softly as they Eskimo kissed, joyful happiness in his eyes.

"I promise, we are never going to fight over what classes to take for next semester ever again."

Gaara's tongue was tipped over his bottom lip, looking up at Lee with dazed patience.

"Seal a promise with a kiss."

Lee smiled bashfully, leaning down to tangle tongues with his lover, his hands tangled in the black material of the redhead's shirt. When they separated moments later, both were panting, a red blush splashed across Lee's face while Gaara's only saw a red hue from need.

"For forever and ever and ever!"

Gaara couldn't help the slight smirk that came across his lips as he leaned up once more.

"Always."

* * *

Originally, it was supposed to just be them meeting in kindergarten and making a life promise, then I got into the time skip… I LIKE IT!


	4. Love After Death

"More!"

_For months, no one had been able to draw Lee out of the depression he had fallen into. Everyone was terrified that he may be suicidal. After all, Lee had never taken well to being abandoned. Having his fiancé, his lover of one year and great love for five, be murdered days before their high school marriage, was quickly bringing him to his end._

_That, of course, was common fact. How ever, no one understood what was happening in the apartment he had once shared with his one and only special person. _

A large smile was growing on the young man's face, his peanut butter colored skin glistening with sweat. His hands were held above his wrist, by what, it could not be seen. The buttons of his green formal shirt was slowly unbuttoned, seemingly by themselves as no hands ever touched the fabric, nor could anyone be seen by the panting boy.

In appearance, it was as if the boy was alone, slumped against his front door where he had first leaned against the wood and began panting, his cheeks painted red as his clothes shifted and rustled as if someone's hands were trailing across his skin. When his head twisted around on his neck, strands of his hair stuck out from his scalp as if someone was tugging on it, it was clear that his lips moved, almost as if someone else was pressing something to his mouth.

_In school, in public, no one could get Lee to smile anymore. He was an empty husk of the once beautifully open boy he had once been. Gaara was gone, and he was now alone. Even Gai, his father figure, his role model, could not get him to try anymore. He simply did not care. He didn't go out of his way to die, though. If food was urged towards him, he would eat it. If he was asked to assist, he would. If someone would hold him, he would sleep. At the same time, if no one told him to survive, he would just as willingly die. Possibly with even more happiness. _

_Out of school, out of the public eye, in his home, however, he could not live fast enough. Life was beautiful inside of their home, and yes, it was their home. Because, truly, his lover had never left. _

_Oh no, Gaara loved him too much to leave his country mouse alone. Especially when his country mouse needed him so much._

The raven haired boy's hips lifted, apparently by themselves, off of the floor, the tight jeans he had been wearing slipping off of his slim hips down curvy legs to fly off of his ankles, almost as if an impatient lover had flung them off of him across the room. Up and down the raven haired boy's body, bite marks began to show, teeth indentions lining his olive toned skin.

A soft smile came over the obsidian eyed boy's face, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"Gaara, you know I'm not beautiful…"

Not a word could be heard in the room, but the smile grew, and the tears fell.

"That is not true…"

He gasped, his back arching forward and up into something that was not there. On his belly, a vicious bite mark began to dot blood. It was clear by his wanton whimpering that the punishment caused the raven more pleasure than pain. The tears that had been traveling down his face disappeared, a wet trail three times wider than the tear stains appearing in it's path.

The raven opened his arms, encompassing something that had to be kneeling before him in his grip. Surprisingly, his arms rested against something that could not be seen, appearing as if they rested contently on thin air.

"Take me… Do not leave me alone… Take me…"

A wet sucking sound could be heard, even as the raven twisted his head one and the other, biting into his bottom lip in an attempt to quiet himself.

It felt so good… So very cold, but that was okay. He was on fire, and Gaara had always been cool to the touch.

"B-but, I am n-not- Ah!"

He panted, his hands clenching into themselves around whatever creature he held in his arms.

"I-I will s-say it! B-but, please, s-stop teasing m-me!"

Sweat rolled off of him, his cheeks flushed red. Looking between his wide open legs, the widening of his hole was obvious, something stretching the flesh beyond what was possible for it to do by itself.

"I-I'm beautiful! H-happy?"

Clearly, whatever being he was speaking to was _very _happy. Because, in the next moment, Lee was screaming out in ecstasy, whatever presence riding him no longer teasing him to unbearable lengths. He bounced up and down, the skin on each of his hips indented, almost as if some force had a grasp on them, against gravity itself. Balanced on nothing but his knees, his arms wrapped around the force's mass, he screamed and panted, unable to stop the noises.

In the moment his obsidian eyes widened with shocked pleasure, his essence spurted from his member, catching his chest… As well as another's.

In that moment of release, the invisible mass that had been before the raven haired boy became a hazy mist of what would be a man about the same age as the boy he had been loving. His hair held a tint of red in his transparency, his skin pale like white sand. Yet, despite the faintness of his outline, his eyes showed like jewels, the green-blue of them focused on the raven haired boy he was riding with predatory hunger and burning pleasure. In that second of a minute, it could be seen as the redhead plunged his tongue into the raven's mouth, his pale lips devouring the almond colored ones of his lover's.

That, however, was the longest it lasted. Sweat glistening and shimmering on his long body, the raven allowed himself to release the entity before him, falling back on the door behind him. One of his hands reached up and began to stroke the unseen entity before him, his smile content and pleased.

"I love you… So much, Gaara…"

His smile dissipated into a frown, his obsidian eyes darkening with sadness and confusion.

"What are you talking about? Neji is only my friend, Gaara, I wish for him to be nothing more for me…"

Next came horror into his eyes, his mouth dropping open.

"You- You can not demand such a thing! No!"

He practically threw himself forward, the entity that had been before him catching him and lifting him off of the ground, as could be shown by the raven suddenly levitating feet off of the ground, his body bent as if he was being held by his back and knees in a bridal style hold. He turned his head into where the entity's chest would be, sobs racking his body.

"Please… I c-can not… My heart belongs to you! A-asking me to move on with s-someone else? That is just s-selfish!"

He was carried down the hall into where they had spent so many nights… Back when Gaara had been alive. Back when Gaara had been able to walk out of their home. No longer, however. This apartment was his prison, and Lee was his only solace.

As if he could see the creature's eyes, Lee looked up, his own obsidian orbs swinging from one side to the other.

"You are not serious, a-are you? I am not moving out! G-Gaara… Do you honestly want me gone?"

His hand came up and grabbed the face that could not be seen, forcing the entity to look back to him. How he knew that the entity had looked away, how he heard the entity's words, was uncertain. He just did. How he felt the other's touch so intensely, how the other felt his touch as if he were of muscle and bone, was another mystery. It was a mystery they were both too grateful to find an answer to.

"Gaara, look at me… Do… Do you want me… g-gone?"

There was moments where tears flowed from his eyes, unstopped as they had been before. But it only lasted moments. After that, trails three times larger than the paths left behind by the sorrow was followed back up to his eyes. When that stopped, a just barely there hum could be heard through the room. If one listened close enough, it could be discerned as a whisper. Whatever was said in that whisper, the light died from the raven's eyes.

Standing from their bed, he did not turn around, not even as the covers on their bed rumpled, signaling that his lover was following him. With blank eyes, he walked towards the kitchen. Not even as he set a foot into the small room, his lover realized what was happening.

The lights flickered on and off, whirring dangerously as furniture crashed and was spontaneously thrown about the apartment. Dishes fell from the country and shattered on the ground, the windows shuddering with the exhale of overwhelming rage and pain.

The raven did not bother with any of it. He walked carelessly on top of the broken glass, reaching out to the kitchen knife set in the center of the table. As his hand touched the handle of the large steak knife, each of the sharp utensils flew from the wooden block they had been set into, sending them hilt deep into the wall.

He stopped for one moment, his eyes looking to the ground, as his hand dropped limply to his side.

"… Gaara, I will not live knowing that I am hurting you so much… If I am dead like you, than you do not have to be alone anymore. You will stop telling me to move on… I love you too much to simply leave you behind, Gaara… And I do not want you to leave me behind…"

His hand grabbed the steak knife in the wall and pulled violently on it, snapping it out of the wall. Even as that happened, something shoved him back away from the weapon, making the knife snag right back into the wall with a twang of it's handle.

Once more, Lee began to sob wildly, turning and twisting desperately in whatever grip held him.

"Please! Do you know how miserable I am without you? I can not settle for just this anymore, Gaara! I can not be yours if you are always telling me to move on!"

He listened for a moment, whatever the wildly screeching of the whole apartment responded to him with dissatisfying as he shook his head, his teeth clenched together.

"You are asking to much! I told you… So, so many years ago, before we even loved one another, that I would have one and only one love for my life! You were my only love, are my only love, and I can not abandon you for someone I do not even feel intimate towards!… Please, do not make me do this…"

It was clear he was losing this war, his sobs wracking his body as he sagged in whatever grip had held him.

"Please! I have forgiven you for so much, Gaara, but I can not forgive you if you make me lie to my own heart! You say you want me to be happy, but this will only kill me with so much more pain than any weapon could! If you believe forcing me into a relationship with someone else is the answer, than you do not love me, Gaara!"

Even as he fell to the ground, whatever force having held him releasing him, the screeching and fury occurring in the interior of the apartment, lights remaining off as the knives dropped to the floor, his eyes widened with terror at what he had just said.

Wrapping his arms around his naked body, he touched his forehead to the kitchen floor, begging for forgiveness under his breath as he cried pitifully. He had just used the love Gaara felt for him against him. He knew, better than anyone on earth, that Gaara loved him. For him to even _accuse_ his lover of such a thing… He himself could not believe it.

He heard the metallic slide of the steak knife, than felt it's cold edge against his throat. He looked up, and saw, one last time, beautiful green-blue eyes staring into his own obsidian ones. He smiled, one last time, as he felt the blade cut deeply into his flesh, cutting his life short. As he died, Gaara held him, his blue-green eyes watching him with passive concentration, as if it were nothing more than watching his lover go to sleep. In the last breath of his lover's life, he drifted translucent lips over cooling almond ones, catching the deep, choked sigh with his entire essence.

_No one was surprise, honestly. That didn't stop them from crying. Almost everyone felt they were at guilt. They should have watched Lee closer, made sure that he didn't try to join his dead lover. Among them, Naruto and Gai were the ones at most disbelief. Gai could not believe that the boy he had raised to be so strong, so giving, had given his life away in a moment. Naruto… Naruto just could not believe that he had lost two friends in the pass two months alone. Never before in his life had he had such a loss. For the life of him, he couldn't accept it. _

_Years after their generation had died, old age or illness having pulled them under, a story went about. A story about a country mouse of a boy being engaged to an abused male that was heir to the Sabaku business corporation. How the Sabaku heir was killed by his own father when he refused to release his lover, not even at the threat of being disinherited. How, after his murder, the country mouse of the boy could not live without him. Most say it was suicide, that he took the steak knife to his own throat. Some say that it was his dead lover, still unable to release him to live on. _

_It is said, if one were to go to the apartment in which the country mouse had died, it could be heard the country mouse and the Sabaku heir arguing in the kitchen. At other times, if it were a couple to enter the apartment, the submissive of the couple would hear the country mouse at their ear, telling them to love with all of their might. Other times, only the most perverted could stay for what sounds could be heard, noises that clearly meant the two dead lovers were… being lovers. _

_One tale, an abusive man moved into the apartment with his male lover. Only two days later, the abusive man ran screaming from the apartment, blabbering and tortured. Walking into the apartment, the faintest outline of a young man with raven hair and peanut butter skin was holding onto the male lover, his almond colored lips whispering words into the boy's ears that calmed him. Before them, like a battling angel, blue-green eyes pierced the souls like demon fire, daring anyone to pass him._

_Their love was eternal, surpassing life. As long as they remained within this world, they made sure to help others that ever came to Apartment number 13 at the cross of Suna Avenue and Konoha Street. They were inseparable._

_

* * *

_

I've had a few ghost stories stuck in my head… This was one of them. And, yes, I have to put it in my Country mouse fic… I don't know exactly why.


	5. Happy Valentines Day

His tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes narrowed intently in concentration. There was a blue smudge across his one cheek and a long dash of red over his formerly green button up shirt. A black smudge was on his other cheek and splashes of red decorated the legs of his skinny jeans and yellow was stuck in the strands of his ebony hair.

He was a very colorful mess, and he had no idea of it.

For the past three hours, he had stood before the painting canvas that his boyfriend and lover frequented constantly. As of yet, shutting one eye and tilting his face to the side, it seemed to be coming along well. He flickered his eyes to the reference photo he had set beside the canvas and gave a sigh of joy, his dark lips turning up and his extremely white teeth showing through. Noticeably, he began to tremble with joy.

He stopped everything when he heard the front door open. He stood frozen before the piece of art and waited on baited breath.

Step… step… step… step…

"… The hell?"

He spun around, a large grin on his face and his arms thrown out wide as if to encompass the world and his lover with it.

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, MY REDHEADED DEVIL!!!!!!!"

With that said, he threw himself at the still redhead, wrapping his arms around a pale neck as his body hit the other's full force, sending them stumbling backwards till they hit the wall opposite the entrance. Before his lover could reprimand him for his carelessness, the raven haired boy dropped his lips to the other's, happy to not demand anything as long as his lover was in his arms.

However, his redheaded devil had other plans… Naturally…

With a smirk of his pale lips, the raven haired boy gave a loud yelp of surprise and discomfort as he crashed onto the cloth covered couch next to the canvas he had been working at, splatters of color all across it as well as if he had had a war with it. He blinked up as his lover crawled over him before he could retaliate and get to his feet. The raven haired boy took a deep breath, about to reprimand his lover, and ended up not caring so much about it…

It was so hard to care when his lover was squeezing something onto the ring finger of his left hand. Judging by the fact that it was a band, he had a pretty solid idea what it could be. For moments, he didn't dare looking down, only staring up at his redheaded devil with impossibly wide teary eyes, visibly gulping ever other second.

His lover's cool smirk became something less edged and more... The Gaara he alone knew. The one that was a human and not an uncaring creature such as he had been labeled by most people when he had been younger.

With an air of disbelief, Lee rose his hand to his face - and almost began crying right then and there.

Some time ago, when he had witnessed the exchange of rings between his uncle, Gai, and a man named Kakashi, he had asked Gaara what he wished his wedding ring to look like. His redheaded devil had evaded the question, instead turning it back on him. It had been simple, honestly. He trained a lot, so something gaudy would never do! He was a very humble, modest being, so something overly expansive was just… scandalous! No, he had once told his lover with a firm nod of his head -which had been resting on Gaara's chest, sweat still trekking down their bodies onto the ruined sheets-, he wanted a ring that showed that showed him that his love knew him! He had… not quite been comfortable speaking of it in that way, of course. Speaking of it as if he and Gaara were nothing but pleasant friends and this nothing more but a fling and that the man he planned to marry were someone else.

Oh no, that had not made him comfortable at all. This, however… This was marvelous.

His redheaded devil took his slightly shaking hand into his own, pressing chapped lips to the simple band of gold with one phrase etched into it.

_Forever my country mouse_

"I take it… that you accept me?"

Yet, somehow, uncertainty still showed through his tone, as if he were not as positive as he wished to appear in the question that should have been rhetorical.

The raven haired boy almost squealed with joy, wrapping one hand in ruby locks and pulling the other's face down to him, smashing their lips together, tongue touching teasingly to his redheaded devil's before slipping away. In his redheaded devil's pursuit to capture his wandering tongue, he ended up becoming more and more compressed between the solid frame of his lover and the compliable surface of the couch. Finally, he turned his head away with a laugh, tears slipping out of the corners of his obsidian eyes.

"My redheaded devil, why would I even refuse you? YES!!"

He held onto the redheaded seemingly for dear life, an ethereal glow almost wafting off of his entire frame. He felt his lover smile against the junction of his throat. A long pale arm enveloped his waist, pulling him flush against the redhead. For long, blissful moments, there was only silence. Up until, however…

"Lee?"

"Yes, lover?"

"Why does our living room look as if someone began a paintball fight?"

"I was painting!"

Gaara's non existing eyebrow rose enquiringly.

"Is that so?"

He finally allowed his eyes to wander to the canvas that he had only noted for a small second in first coming by the room. It was… interesting…

"… It's…"

"Full of youth and fire!?"

"colorful."

Splashes of every color in the rainbow seemed to have been splashed and dazzled across the entire paper, creating a mob of mixing shades and unrecognizable shapes. He was almost certain he saw an eye somewhere in the form of it all… but that could also just be another blob of misplaced paints.

"What is it?"

A deep hurt frown came over the raven youth's face, his bottom lip jutting out and his eyes acquiring a look equivalent to a kicked puppy.

"It's our first kiss!"

With that, he rose from beneath Gaara with a flourish, dashed over to the side of the canvas, and then was by the redhead's side once more with the reference photo in hand.

There were a number of teens in the small frame. However, two of them were clearly focused upon. A red-haired teen looked startled, as well as having just the _faintest_ of a tint of red to his cheeks, his head twisted to the side. The reason for his surprise, most likely, was because of the raven haired youth who had his eyes sealed tightly shut, his face darker than any cherry, and his lips touching the redhead's.

Looking from the picture to the canvas, he concluded that the array of colors may not be so random, and that the blob was indeed an eye. His lips twitched once upward as he looked to the eagerly awaiting Lee.

"I will paint this for you, if that's what you truly want."

He didn't wait for Lee to start bawling, already seeing it coming with how obsidian eyes became hurt and how dark lips opened to defend his pride, before he continued on.

"As long as you sing for me, of course. An artist needs his inspiration, and I am pass the stage of using reference photos."

With that, he grabbed the drooping collar on the raven's shirt, pulling the other boy down onto his lap where he was still at on the couch.

"You're going to have to make me _feel _it again, country mouse."

Lee's blush was beautiful as it splashed as randomly across his face as it had over the canvas. His one hand fiddled with the ring on his left as he smiled widely.

"Yosh! I shall inspire you to recreate this moment of greatness and newfound love!"

He pecked the other's lips before the redhead's scowl could form more properly, knowing that his lover had never liked him using impressions more suited for his uncle. He sighed a soft smile as he met blue-green eyes lovingly.

"Husband…"

Blue-green eyes became fiery and dazed in the same moment.

"Very soon now…"

Lee smiled.

"This is the best valentines' day ever!"

Which prompted his lover to quirk a non existing eyebrow.

"Isn't it always the best?"

Lee gave a secret smile.

"Oh… Only second to the day of our first kiss."

Gaara's smile gained more fire.

"Of course."

* * *

… I don't know… I guess… It just is… … It's a few days late for Valentine's day, but that's the basic idea.


	6. Whiskey Lullaby

He stepped off of the bus, taking his first breath of country air for two years. His darkly shadowed eyes slid shut in reverence and sheer exhaustion. From behind him came the cries and howls of his fellow companions, wishing him the best of luck. He never looked back as he stepped forward, setting his foot on the dirt beaten path he remembered so well. A small smile quirked his pale lips as his eyes wandered over the green yard, free of weeds as it has always been. The tires of his transportation sighing as they moved once more, taking the rest of it's load to where they needed to go.

He trekked down the slim path to the small house it lead to, a large billowing willow beside the cozy looking green home. The front door slid open with hardly a sound, revealing a hall that lead to a door to his left, a stand on his right, and a staircase. Upon the stand were an array of photos, yet one caught his attention in particular.

A redhead wore his army uniform. Behind the man was the large billowing willow that stood in the front row. In the man's arms, however, was another man. This man had dark raven hair with eyes that appeared even darker. His sienna pale skin shined in the noon sun and his obsidian orbs adored the redhead who held him and who he held in return.

Blue-green eyes shut momentarily in memory.

_He spun his lover in a wide circle, a blissful smile gracing his features as he allowed the squealing raven to finally touch ground. For a moment, they had to lean on each for support. He didn't care, taking advantage of the moment to steal his lover's plump lips. With their mouths, they attempts to devour each other, teeth clacking and lips bruising while tongues tangled in sweet mercy. He broke away with a hungry mind._

"_I will love you forever, country mouse."_

_His lover's smile was so beautiful…_

"_You have my heart, Gaara… I'll be waiting here till you get back home…"_

_Their lips met again, so very tenderly…_

A loud giggle broke him out of his reverie. His sharp gaze flickered to the staircase. That had been his lover… He would recognize any sound his country mouse would make.

His heart seemed to tremble in his chest with excitement as he took to the stairs, and the smile was an unwavering nuisance across his face. He simply could not stop either reaction. It _had_ been two years after all.

He opened the door to his lover's room,-… and stopped dead, his smile slipping from his lips.

On the bed, his lover shoved away a long-haired brunette, looking to him with shock in his obsidian gaze. His lover looked from him to the man in his bed and then to sheets on his bed.

"G-Gaara, this is not what it… Gaara! Please!"

It didn't matter, he was already walking away. He heard his lover take chase moments after.

"Gaara, please!"

He considered walking to where he had seen his motorcycle in the front yard and riding away. He knew Lee would never have ridden it, and he had left it with a full tank…

Then again, he had thought his lover would never cheat on him either.

No… He had never before ran away. Never. He walked to the gun cabinet in the living room through the door that had been to the left of the entrance.

"Gaara, what are you doing!?"

His lover tries to hold onto him, his babyish like hands strong in their grip on his wrists.

"Gaara, please, it was not what it looked like-"

His lover blinked… Blinked again… and then looked down slowly, as if the resounding bang had not been enough proof, nor the feeling of impact. Gingerly, he touched two fingers to the bleeding hole in the middle of his stomach, and then looked up into his unfeeling stare.

"G-Gaara…"

His lover collapsed against him; not dead, but not quite alive. There was a loud curse from the hall, and then another resounding bang, all without Gaara moving from his spot. He wrapped one arm around his lover's bleeding body, not even flickering his gaze to the dead man who bathed the wooden floors with crimson.

"It's alright, country mouse…"

He drifted his pale lips over his lover's raven locks. Putting the gun to his head, he cocked it once more.

"I will always love you."

His lover stopped breathing altogether. Gaara stared at his lax form as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

Lee had been feeling… off… lately. Something in his lover's letters were missing… as if his redheaded devil were not telling him something. It terrified him. It didn't terrify him in the sense of 'What if he is cheating on me?' or 'Does he want to break up with me?', but more along the lines of 'What is he not telling me!?'.

He simply had no answer for this paranoia… Well… _Had _not, anyway… Yesterday, news had reached his ears as he had been buying what ingredients he would need for dinner that night.

The soldiers were coming home.

For the past 24 hours, he had been cleaning, cooking, and feeling down right like a house wife… and liking it. His lover was coming home! For two years, he had wondered if this would happen. In all honesty and truth, he had wished to join the army along side his redheaded devil. However, Gaara had managed to convince him to stay home and hold down the fort. Over time, Lee had regretted staying more and more. Now?…

Now there just wasn't enough time to get everything set up!

Some two hours ago, his dear friend, Neji, hade arrived. He had smiled and agreed to help him sort everything out. Thanks to his lilac eyed friend, he had had time for a small nap.

He had thought that Neji would be gone by then, which was why he had thought it to be his redheaded devil when he was awoken with a kiss to his neck. He had giggled into the contact, content to keep his eyes closed so to better remember this moment where his soldier came back home and loved him. Then the kisses drifted closer and closer to his lips from his neck. The moment those lips touched his own, the _very_ same moment where he knew like a _fact_ that these were not the lips of his lover, was the moment he heard the bedroom door creak open.

He had shoved Neji off of him, looking from his redheaded devil with shock to his traitorous friend who just sat there, back again, and then to the sheets…

There was no way to explain this -even he was having difficulty believing in his innocence- but he had to try…

So sad he never got that chance, he realized as his lover put a bullet straight through him. Strangely enough…

He was just happy that his lover still held him after he fell against him.

He sucked at air greedily, his dazed gaze watching Neji try to run out the front door and fail. His fuzzy thoughts could think nothing of it.

"It's alright, country mouse."

He believed him.

"I still love you."

And he still loved him… Always, even with this…

At the same moment he felt himself fade away, he heard the gun go off a third time…

_They were laid together beneath the willow while the angels sang a whiskey lullaby... _

* * *

… Even though there was no whiskey involved. However, this chapter was inspired by listening to 'whiskey lullaby' by Brad Paisely and Alison Krauss. I… could never see Lee cheating on anyone. Honestly, I just don't think him capable of that. Yes, this chapter was seriously OOC, I'm sorry for your luck. I was trying to follow the story line of the music video up to a point. I just gave it a twist right where the idea of leaving came to mind. In the music video, the man took the motorcycle and went off. He committed suicide some time later after being an alcoholic. Some time after that, the woman committed suicide after many flings and a lot of alcohol. Hence, why it's called 'whiskey lullaby'. It's a beautiful song, though… I recommend it to anyone and everyone.


	7. Congo Bongo Monkey

"Country mouse…"

Lee smiled, the epitome of innocence.

"Yes, my redheaded devil?"

His redheaded lover took a deep breath, attempting to stare him down with his blue-green eyes. Had he been anyone, it most likely would have worked. Except he was Lee Rock! Blue Beast of Konoha High School! He could not be frightened, nor deterred by his vengeful boyfriend!

"I am going to kill you. Then I shall chop your body into miniscule bits and use them in a collage with your blood for the paint."

Lee giggled, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to the other's thinly pressed lips.

"I love you too!"

Gaara's darkly shadowed eyes narrowed with deadly intent.

"I'm not joking. Your death will be stretched across hours until you plea for me to end your life."

Lee pouted, walking into the redhead till the other had to move backwards so as not to topple over. Lee kept his lover walking backwards till the back of his knees hit the bed. With that, he gave a little push so that his lover sat down on the green and red surface, situating himself in the other's lap with a squirm. He kept his pout, even though it was hard to when the other tensed at the movement, as well as what he was slowly coming to feel poking his butt.

"Gaara! It is only one night… And for all the good boys and girls as well!"

He fingered the white rim of the coat Gaara wore, allowing his eyes to slowly flicker back up to him as he continued to sway his bottom. He whimpered when pale hands bit into his waist and pulled him harshly down. That was most _definitely _his lover's youth poking him in the bottom…

"Please… For me?"

He made sure that his bottom lip was prominent and his eyes large and watery as he stared into the other's seemingly steely glare. There was almost a minute of Gaara staring at him with an unmovable will, and then he growled, tangling his fingers in Lee's hair to shove his tongue into his mouth.

"Only for tonight. If anyone, and I mean _anyone_, snaps a picture of this, I will murder them in your sleep and you as well."

Lee mentally squealed with delight as he was finally able to place the white wig over his boyfriend's head of red and the Santa hat over that. He almost trembled with joy as he stared at his lover. Black boots, check; red velvet coat with white trimming and red baggy pants to go with them. In contrast, Lee wore green tights beneath a green tunic, and a pair of green elf shoes with bells at the toe of both of them. On top of his hat was a green elf hat, also with a bell at the tip of it. Over his ears, he wore fake pointed ears colored so they were the same tone as his skin.

His smile grew as he nuzzled into his lover's throat.

"Oh, but Gaara! All of the parents will wish to take a picture of their awe inspired child with Santa Claus!"

The reply was a growled sigh. Comfortable silence went by for a number of minutes. Then Gaara put a hand on his shoulder, looking down at the crown of his head enquiringly.

"And what do you want for Christmas?"

Lee laughed, rearranging himself in his boyfriend's lap so that his legs swung over both of Gaara's thighs and his arm was wrapped around his shoulders. He smiled widely.

"Well, Santa, I want…"

He bit his lip, looking around himself as if he expected someone else to be listening. Conspiringly, he leaned forward to whisper into his lover's ear.

"I would like for world peace."

His lover shook his head.

"I can't do that for you. Anything else?"

Lee pouted. He took a deep breath and thought about it. He smiled with the next idea that came to mind. He had wanted this since he had been a small child! Unfortunately, since he had lived at the orphanage, he had never been able to get it because he hadn't wanted anyone to spend money on him. By the time he had left there, it had completely slipped his mind. Now, though…

It wasn't as if Gaara would take him seriously anyway. So there was no harm in answering!

This time, he kept his lips the width of a hair away from the shell of his hair as he whispered even more lowly than last time.

"I would like for a Congo Bongo Monkey."

He giggled at his lover's annoyed expression.

"A what?"

He pressed a finger to lover's scowling lips.

"Now, Santa, you are not allowed to question the children! You are to smile and nod your head and ask if I was a good boy or girl this year."

That made his lover blink. After a moment, he snorted, opening his mouth to bite the pad of Lee's finger.

"You have not been a good boy this year."

Lee jumped slightly at the nip before turning water eyes on the Santa that was now tonguing his finger, suppressing a shiver.

"I have too been a good boy, Santa! I helped all the needy and-"

"And fornicated with St. Nicholas."

He shook his head, keeping Lee's obsidian gaze.

"Sounds like something a bad child would do., doesn't it?"

Lee opened his mouth, snapped it shut, opened it, and could only stare stupidly at his teasing lover.

"G- Santa! That is not nice!"

Instead of answering, he quirked a nonexistent eyebrow.

"Says the boy walking around in tights that show off an exquisite little round ass-"

"WOULD YOU TWO JUST STOP!! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THIS!!!!!!!"

Lee turned steadily red as he very slowly looked over his shoulder to Gaara other 'elf'. Naruto had somehow managed to get himself out of green and instead wore orange, though his outfit was the same as Lee's. Traumatized blue eyes opened and glared at them.

"We're leaving and you guys better get your asses down stairs! If you weren't Santa, We'd have left you perverts here!"

He stalked out of the room, a gawking Lee staring after him and an annoyed Gaara glaring at his back. It took two minutes before Lee was able to speak… Well, scream, actually.

"I AM NOT A PERVERT!!!!!!!! N-NARUTO!!!!"

Gaara stood up from the bed, Lee in arms, and walked out of the room and down the stairs.

"Yes, you are."

Lee gaped at him, and then began to get teary eyed.

"I am not…"

"Yes… You are."

He pressed his lips to Lee's, devouring the boy from the inside out. He separated only when he was at the bottom of the stairs, Naruto and his brother telling him to cut it off, Hinata most likely about to faint if he knew her well enough.

Lee separated from him, his face as red as Gaara's suit. Gaara whispered into Lee's ear, just as his lover had earlier.

"You're _my_ pervert."

Lee gulped.

"Y-Yes…"

"Seriously, bro? Can't you two stop lip locking for thirty seconds while we get in the damn car?"

Gaara thought about the question as he held the squirming 'elf' to his chest, got into the back seat of his brother's car, seated Lee onto his lap (Lee tried to fight it. It was _illegal_, after all.), and drummed his fingers against his lover's thigh. After three minutes of driving, he still didn't have an answer, because he was lip locked, again, with his lover.

… Possibly, tomorrow, he would try to prove his brother wrong.

* * *

Lee laughed as yet another child pulled at Gaara's beard, asking him if it was real. Quickly, he was by their side, handing the small girl a candy cane before 'Santa' could answer. Gaara had an inability to lie unless he was being sarcastic or teasing… Both happened rarely. He smiled at the now content child.

"Did you ask Santa what you wanted for Christmas?"

The girl blinked up at him, then a large smile exploded across her face.

"Yep! I want a Barbie doll and a furreal pet!!"

Lee laughed softly.

"That is wonderful!"

The girl's smile disappeared in a second, looking up at him with a blank stare.

"If you're an elf, why are you so tall?"

Lee blinked… Stared down at the girl, and then took a deep breath, renewing his smile to full voltage.

"I had to be very tall to care for the reindeer!"

He winked at her.

"Only I and a few others are so tall! We had to come with Santa here because we have to go where the reindeer go!"

Her face was full of awe.

"Really!? Mommy says that I'll grow tall one day, can I take care of the reindeer too!?"

Lee blinked again, his mouth open but no words coming. He did not want to break her little heart by saying no, but saying yes…

"The reindeer each have their own caretaker. You would have to be apprenticed before you could even touch them."

Lee's head shot to Gaara with surprise. That was… almost a very good excuse. The girl pouted sadly, nodding her head anyway.

"Okay…"

Her smile returned in full blast. She leaned up to kiss Gaara's cheek, leaped off of his lap, and hugged Lee around the waist.

"Bye Santa! Bye Mr. Elf!"

Lee returned the hug. Hinata smiled, holding a camera in hand as she softly asked the child if she would like a picture with them. The girl did, so she got back in Gaara's lap, made sure that Lee and Naruto were there, and then smiled prettily. With a flourish and a loud squeal of joy, she ran back to the adult she had came with and showed off the picture.

Lee felt his chest swell with joy, his fists clenched by his mouth as he actually began to tremble.

"See what happiness we bring children, _Santa_!"

He said the last word teasingly, looking down at 'Santa' with pure love and exuberance in his eyes. His lover only stared blankly back at him. Some of the parents had been weary of them at first. Seeing as how their Santa had no eyebrows and his eyes were darkly shadowed as if he had not slept in ages. Luckily, their children's wants had outweighed their fear and they had spent seven hours with no breaks listening to little children tell 'Santa' what they wanted…. Maybe not so luckily for his lover, who had had to sit in the chair all that time, Naruto, who had complained of being hungry sometime after the second hour, or Kankuro, who had been looking like a very angry man from where he had sat at a nearby table waiting for it to be over. He and Hinata, however, had loved every moment of it.

Now, the last child was gone, seeing as how it was nine at night. It was time for them to pack up and head out. Lee was almost too sad to leave. Regardless, Gaara, Naruto, and Hinata went and changed out of their suits, Lee staying behind with Kankuro to clean up the stand. Once that was finished, he went in search of his lover, not at all bothered by the number of children that were still there walking up to him and telling him what they needed him to tell Santa, much less the either appalled or mocking looks he got. Some people just didn't have the Christmas spirit.

Three later, Lee was in bed, panting furiously and moaning word he did not even understand. His legs were pushed over his lover's shoulders and his lover was not taking any mercy on him. He cried out at a violent twist of Gaara's hips, his back arch and his hands ripping at the blankets over the bed. In a moment before he could warn his redheaded devil, he came all over their chests with a scream of pleasure. With his walls squeezing Gaara for all he was worth, his lover came hardly a second later with a resounding growl.

He fell over, landing partially on Lee, forcing the raven haired boy into a very awkward position. He felt almost unexplainably relieved that he was flexible, as well as the fact that he felt boneless, or else having his knees practically touch the bed by either side of his face could have been just a _bit _uncomfortable.

Still panting, he turned his head, blearily looking at the alarm clock. He smiled, stroking a hand through his lover's sweaty locks.

"… Gaara, it is Christmas!"

Languidly, his lover looked to the clock. He took a deep tired breath, forced himself up and out of Lee -making Lee moan as Gaara hissed- and then stood from the bed. He padded silently out of the room. Just as Lee felt his eyes slip close, unable to keep them open, the bed dipped and something papery like landed on his belly. He mumbled under his breath as he opened his eyes sleepily. On his belly was a… wrapped box. He blinked at it, then turned his gaze curiously to Gaara.

"…?"

In answer, his lover drifted his lips over his, only a whisper of contact, before pulling away, watching him intently.

"Merry Christmas, country mouse."

Lee finally comprehended. With a squeal of delight, though he was slightly hurt, he sat up, his hands almost trembling with excitement. Regardless, he was careful to open the gift slowly, gently taken the wrapping paper from it and carefully folding it away. His heartbeat seemed to go a thousand beats per a minute as the suspension built… and then it stopped for one disbelieving moment as he stared at the gift he now held in his hands.

… His redheaded devil had taken him seriously.

"… Congo Bongo Monkey… Where did you get this?"

He whispered his fingers reverently over the plastic musical toy, awed as he stared down at it. It had a drum between it's legs, drumsticks in one hand, a triangle in the other, and symbols on it's head. It was… It was…

Gaara frowned as he wiped away the tears that fell from Lee's eyes.

"Lee?"

He almost cursed as the other boy threw himself at him, sending them both crashing to the floor.

"Thank you, Gaara! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He punctuated every 'thank you' with a kiss, his arms wrapped tightly around the redhead's neck.

"I love you so much!"

He practically screamed at the top of his lungs, right before he pushed his lips against the other's, beginning their own war of dominance. Gaara wrapped his arm around Lee's back, no longer caring about the faint throbbing he could feel throughout his back and head from impact.

When they pulled away, Lee bit into his bottom lip, looking quite ashamedly away.

"But, Gaara… I… I thought we agreed we would not exchange gifts this year!"

Which was part of the reason he had thought Gaara would not take him seriously. Throughout the Christmas season, Lee had had to run away from stores before he went and bought his lover a gift, determined to not do so as they had agreed. Now… now he felt bad…

Gaara's eyes were half lidded as they stared up at him.

"You already gave me what I wanted… Everything I've wanted… This… was the least I could do…"

Lee blinked, looking at Gaara with confusion in his eyes.

"… Surely, there's something you still want!"

Gaara stared up at him heatedly.

"… Say it again…"

Lee's confusion grew.

"What?"

"Do you love me?"

"Of course!"

There was utter conviction and passion in his voice, almost _daring_ anyone to call him a liar and be proven wrong. Gaara flipped them over, spreading Lee's legs apart as he nipped at his collarbone. Lee gasped, arching into it.

"Tell me."

"I love you!"

"Again."

Lee whimpered as he felt his lover enter him slowly, careful of his already sore muscles.

"I love you!"

"Again!"

Lee whimpered as Gaara plunged his entire length into him with one thrust, foregoing gentleness. His back arched against the cold floor as his mouth gaped open on a cry.

"I love you!"

His lover's tempo seemed to be instantly wild, his tempo brutal and his body rocking Lee's back and forth on the ground. Had they been on the bed, chances were that the mattress frame would have been crashing against the wall. Lee screamed as his prostate was hit head on, his nails leaving marks down Gaara's back as the redhead continued to look down at him with so much fire and heat in his eyes. He grabbed Lee's erection, pumping it furiously in time with his own thrusts. Lee was so close to the edge, his vision was blacking out around the edges.

"Who do you love?!"

"GA-HAARA!"

Just like that, in what had to be the quickest round they had had since their first night, he came over their chests and Gaara's hand, his lover following him by moments. His redheaded devil sagged over him, forehead touches Lee's forehead as they stared into each other's eyes.

"W-wow… That was… so youthful…"

Gaara _smirked_ at him. Lee almost felt his heart stop… again.

"_That_… is what you give me that no other being nor thing could ever match."

Lee blinked, too tired to rally up the appalled embarrassment he felt the statement needed. His lover had just made it sound as if he were talking of them making love! He certainly hoped he was the only one that could do that to his redheaded devil, but… Well! He would hope it was not the _only_ thing!

Either Gaara could read his mind, or Lee was as easy to read as a children's book (he opted for the first one, just because he was too stubborn to believe the second), because he scowled at the now more than just confused raven.

"Love, you pervert."

"I AM NOT A PERVERT! Wait, what?"

Gaara stared down at the now wide awake raven, his lips twitching ever so slightly.

"You love me…"

"Always."

Lee wasn't quite certain where this was going. Then Gaara leaned down and kissed his lips again, his touch ever so gentle.

"Nothing can compare to that."

Lee found himself smiling, looking at his lover with joy splashed over his face as he watched the other nuzzle into his chest, hissing in pleasure when his tongue circled his nipples.

"And nothing can compare to you loving me…"

Gaara paused, not looking into Lee's eyes.

"… Do I, country mouse? Do I love you?"

His tone was rhetorical and slightly mocking. Lee knew why. Gaara, in his childhood, had been unloved and unwanted. That was why he was starved for the care of others. However, he had loved in his childhood, tried to reach out and play with others. He may be starved for affection, but he had came to learn that himself caring for others was weak, and a weakness he wouldn't ever indulge.

A man who wanted love like a dying man wanted peace. A man who was terrified to love in return for every time his heart was thrown so coldly to the ground.

Lee smiled, lifting the other's face back to him to drift his lips over his lover's lips.

"Oh, yes… Very much so… And I will never let your heart fall from my hands…."

Then he giggled, meeting his lover's eyes teasingly.

"_Santa_."

Blue-green eyes narrowed dangerously on him.

"I'm uncertain as to if you're deserving of the gift, _elf_."

He squealed as the redhead moved, as if insinuating that he was going to take the monkey away. He laughed as he wrapped his arms around Gaara's neck again.

"I swear, Santa! This elf will be very good and obedient!"

Gaara's lips covered his instantly.

"This elf better _not_ be."

Lee cackled.

"Yosh!"

* * *

No story that includes Rock, Lee is ever complete without at least one 'Yosh!', and you all know it's true… I was on you tube and Kankuro was trying to hand over a Santa jacket to a murderous looking Gaara (it was a picture, I don't know where it is). I guess that inspired this… There is such thing as a Congo Bongo Monkey. I was looking up what children's toy Lee would want for Christmas (originally, I was looking for girl toy's, just 'cause I wanted it to be slightly embarrassing, and I can see Lee wanting a girl's toy), and came across the monkey… It is around 30 dollars, so it fit. I know it's February and Gaara was out of character. _I liked it._


	8. Predator and Prey

"Ooooh, feels so good!"

Lee arched into the hot touch, his mouth gaping open. His eyes were closed in bliss and his hands were gripping the tiles of the bathroom wall before him.

It was the most wonderful, beautiful sensation he had had in hours… Since his morning shower.

Two hours after soccer practice, a hot shower was _exactly _what he needed.

A cold breeze touched his back, making him shiver, as the curtain protecting him from the world was opened. The breeze disappeared as two solid arms wrapped themselves about his waist, pulling him flush against another man's chest. Lee couldn't help but smile, turning his head to meet the other man's lips.

The other man's chapped lips touched his own gently, then pressed into him more firmly, their tongues touching attentively. When they pulled away from each other, Lee's mouth was formed into a smile, meant only for the eyes of the man holding him.

His obsidian eyes met his lover's blue-green eyes, outlined darkly by insomnia.

"How was your day?"

Lee asked in a throaty whisper, his eyes heavy lidded as he felt his redheaded lover trace tracks left behind by the spraying water.

His lover, by name of Sabaku no Gaara, was the youngest business owner on the continent, aged at 17. The boy carried so much stress on his shoulders… It tore at Lee's heart, truly it did.

The redhead gave a small sigh as he pressed himself flush against Lee's back, accomplishing two things at once. One, he was flush against Lee's back, therefore he could feel the familiar curve of the other's ass and the smooth soft skin of his back. Two, he was deeper under the spray of hot water. Mostly, it was for the second one, but the first one just made it all the more worthwhile instead of waiting for the shower to be open.

"… Trying…"

He answered at long last, baring his throat to the spray even as he placed his hands flat against the tile wall, trapping Lee between him and the end of the shower stall. Lee didn't mind, smiling comfortingly instead as he took out some axe body wash and scrubbed it down the redhead's back and chest, a wicked glint entering his onyx eyes as his hands drifted over Gaara's dusky nipples. The redhead bucked into the touch before opening blue-green eyes to stare blandly down at Lee. He was taller by only an inch, but it was such a vast difference than from when Lee had once looked three inches down at him. The redhead had shot up since six years ago… Lee himself was quite tall, which made Gaara an imposing figure. That would be good for his business, Lee knew, because not many people held much respect in the redhead for his age; they would have downright ignored him if not for his dominant personality and growth spurt.

"How?"

The redhead sighed, running one hand down Lee's spine seeing as how Lee had turned around the administer the soap. He placed his chin onto raven wing locks, his eyes at half mast as Lee's hands danced interesting figures over his pale skin.

"Another rival company is attempting to buy us out. With our business alliance to Konoha, their attempt is failing miserably, but it's still costing us."'

Lee frowned, making sure to apply more pressure over the back of the redhead's neck where he felt small knots of tension to be.

"I am glad Konoha is still standing by you for this…"

"They must. This company is attempting to take us both down, not just I."

Lee sighed, shaking his head at the foolishness of it all. He had always been more of a 'save the earth!' person instead of a politic. He could never understand these business wars…

"I am sorry…"

"Don't be. You are at no fault of this idiocy…"

He arched into Lee's drifting hands, dropping his head from atop Lee's to rest their foreheads together instead, his eyes closed peacefully even as the spray began to chill.

He had asked, continuously and still, for Lee to move in with him. Lee refused, not wanting to be seen like a money grubber as most paparazzi already did. It had been an uproar enough when people had first learned of Gaara's gay relationship, it would kill them both if Lee actually _moved_ in and accepted gifts from the large corporate head.

Gaara didn't care one way or the other, he constantly told Lee in a dull tone, but he was going to move in with him sooner or later. Lee was aware of the fact that that was a threat, and the redhead never gave threats lightly. There had been more than one day when Lee had expected to come home and find all of his stuff missing, and then be told that his lover had moved it all to his own home. He both awaited and dreaded the day. He was quite happy with his humble abode, though a few different others in the apartment building would much rather see the whole thing crash to the ground than live in it.

"Hhhhmmm… What would you like to do to make it better? An in-home dinner? I have jeepers creepers in the living room."

He sing-sang the last part, aware of the fact that it was the only horror movie that came close to entertaining Gaara, if not just to get him to smirk a bit. The boy knew no fear! Which Lee wish he could say for himself, but… So many times later after watching it, he _still_ jumped! He was fearless in everything else… but horror movies.

The redhead seemed content to just stand there in the now freezing shower, his one hand drifting down Lee's side as the other remained braced against the wall. The suds on him were washed away in the spray, leaving behind goose bumps that Lee's hands continued to stroke as his own skin chilled.

The other finally moved, if only just slightly, to press his lips against Lee's, his eyes still closed as he shut off the taps, effectively ending the cold shower. They stood there for long minutes, their lips merely pressed together as they dripped steadily.

"… This war may turn much more costing…"

The redhead's words whispered over Lee's lips, the other not moving at all, his eyes heavy with ignored sleep. Lee stroked a hand through blood red locks, frowning in concern in as he did so.

"How bad could it become?"

Gaara sighed, nuzzling Lee's nose with his own.

"They play dirty, this company… Lee."

The urgency in his voice alarmed Lee. Blue-green eyes snapped open to stare deadly serious into his own, driving the point easily across that this was dire information Lee was about to receive. He waited on baited breath.

"… Yes, love?"

"Don't trust any stranger that comes up to you. If they ask for your assistance, make certain that you are not alone and that who you are with are trustworthy."

Lee's frown became more pronounced.

"Love, if someone asks me for help, I am not going to turn them away-"

Gaara's hand held his chin tightly, almost with bruising force, but not quite, standing to his full height to stare down at Lee.

"It's not a choice, Lee. If I have to, I will assign you a body guard. I should assign you a body guard, I know you would not turn down a homeless man asking for money!"

His eyes flickered from Lee's one eye to the other, something so close to fear in his eyes, Lee felt himself go calm. Perhaps it was just an understanding that someone needed to be not afraid when the other was, but Lee could not bring himself to be afraid when the fearless redhead was, and the opposite seemed to be true as well.

He smiled a sweet smile, the same he had first given the redhead upon entering the shower stall, as he placed a palm over Gaara's cheek and gently took the wrist of the offending hand into his other. He stroked one eye closed, only one remaining open to watch him. He carefully took the hand from his chin, pressing the pale knuckles to his lips.

"I will be fine, love…"

He chuckled under his breath, his onyx eyes filled with love and adoration for the redhead.

"Have you ever known your country mouse to stay down long? If they try to harm me, I shall defend myself! You yourself know I am not easy prey."

There was an almost dark silence about the redhead as he allowed Lee his ministrations.

"… That's a lie…"

"Hm?"

Lee rose an enquiring eyebrow.

"… You are extremely easy prey…"

Lee yelped as he was swept off of his feet and out of the shower stall, his cries for Gaara to at least grab their clothes ignored as he was carried down the short hall into the small but warm bedroom. He was dumped onto the bed, sputtering and red in the face as he grabbed the blankets about himself and stared at Gaara with a hunted expression on his face.

There were two places in the house where he allowed himself to be naked: the bathroom and the bedroom… Never anywhere else in case someone came for an unexpected visit or someone was looking through his windows.

He put his hands out before him, attempting to ward off the redhead who only stood there and stared down at him with a blank expression that was belied by the teen's growing erection. Even as he did so, he couldn't help but laugh a bit, a deviant twinkle in his eyes as he crawled across the bed away from the horny man.

"Now, Gaara… I am not prey…"

The redhead dropped onto the bed, stalking him across the small distance until Lee's back hit the wall, trapping him between the naked horny teen and it's cool surface, making him arch his wet back away from it with a hiss.

It was an exceptionally bad idea… as well as a very good stroke of luck. Gaara's mouth descended upon one dark nipple before Lee could retreat once more, his tongue rubbing roughly over the sensitive nub.

Lee made a soft keening sound as he wove his hands into Gaara's hair. His mouth falling open as Gaara's hands teased his abdomen and then circled Lee's twitching member.

"Perhaps not for any other, but most certainly mine."

Lee couldn't disagree with that. He could, however, make an argument of it.

"Oh? Am I now? I honestly thought prey could not overpower the predator…"

He bucked his hips hard, surging his body upward so that the redhead was forced to move back. His head dangled off the edge of the small bed as Lee straddled his legs, careful to sit before the hard erection so that Gaara could not… 'surprise' him.

He nearly purred from his perch, running his tongue sensually over his lips as he stared down at his 'predator'.

Blue-green eyes stared heatedly up at him, pale hands grasping his hips and then slipping around to massage Lee's buttocks. Lee gave a breathy hum under his breath at the ministration, his fingers drifting over Gaara's chest and abdomen.

"… You are a very demanding prey, aren't you?"

"Hm hm… He leaned down, nipping at the pale collarbone on display.

"Most certainly!…"

He smiled a little wanton smile as he wrapped one hand firmly around Gaara's erection, his hips moving him against Gaara's leg for some relief.

"It is youthful to be part of such physical activities!"

He busted out into laughter at Gaara's sour expression, the sound pleasant in the small room.

"Yeah, yeah… Don't get distracted, prey."

Lee yelped once more when he suddenly found himself looking up, Gaara looking down at him with his arms braced on either side of Lee, his hips resting comfortably in between Lee's spread apart legs. Lee pouted.

"Hey! No fair!"

He wiggled, attempting half-heartedly to regain his former perch. His eyes twinkled with laughter, however, belying his fight for some sense of dominance Gaara easily withheld him.

"A predator does not think in terms of fairness, mouse."

Gaara bit down on the nipple he had neglected earlier, growling around the nub as he shook his head slightly. Lee gave a loud groan, his wet body quivering in Gaara's arms.

"Mmmm, but you should! You are such a kind predator…"

His tease did not go unpunished…

As he had planned.

His hips bucked hard, his head thrown back as he gave a loud cry.

"Nnnuh!"

Gaara's fingers felt so good, thrusting in and out of him…

The redhead dropped his mouth to Lee's earlobe, taking it in between his teeth and running his tongue over it.

"Country mouse, I think you're trying to get me to fuck you."

Lee moaned long a low before shaking his head in denial.

"Never something so crude!… "

He tilted his head towards Gaara's lips, giving a small sigh of pleasure when their mouths met in something tender.

"I want you to love me… _very. _Hard."

He bit into his bottom lip as he lifted his hips up, feeling Gaara's fingers curl inside of himself with a high pitched whine as he rubbed against the redhead's erection.

"… You're a very needy mouse, aren't you?"

Lee nodded animatedly, biting into his bottom lip when the fingers were taken away from him.

Lee threw his head back further as he felt the head of Gaara's penis at his entrance, whimpering softly under his breath as his hands clutched the twisted blankets of his bed.

"No."

"Nnnuh huh?"

He forced his eyes open, staring confusedly up at the redhead.

Supporting himself on one arm, Gaara wrapped the other around the back of Lee's neck, forcing his upper body up enough that Lee was looking straight between their bodies.

Lee blinked, able to see his own erection pointing shamelessly back at him as well as… Oh… Oh!

He tried to shut his eyes and look away, embarrassment mixing in with so much pleasure as Gaara slipped a little of himself into him at a time. Gaara panted into his ear.

"You wanted hard loving… Don't you want to watch? I can see it, mouse… You're taking me in so slow, it's as if I would rip you if I went any faster… It looks so hot… Feels so hot… Can you feel me growing?"

He could, actually. The redhead's erection throbbed inside of him, seeming to become more engorged by the second. He gave a small cry, his eyes opening reluctantly. What he saw made him whimper, his hands coming up to hold onto and claw at Gaara's shoulders.

Oh gods, it was too intimate… Watching as his body swallowed the erection inch by inch until he could feel the weight of Gaara's sac against the curve of his buttocks. He gave a long whine as he watched the redhead pull out just as slowly, his penis red, wet, and so _hard_. He sobbed, his neck twisting from side to side as he tried to look away from the fascinating view… Yet he could not. The sight of it, knowing that what he saw made what he felt so much more intense! It was like breaking a bone; you didn't honestly know how bad it hurt until you looked at it or was told it was broken.

"How does that make you feel, mouse? Do you still feel like you can bait me on?"

Lee bit into his bottom lip, his hips thrusting onto Gaara, trying to stop the retreat. He would not answer, not for anything…

Gaara kept his retreat until only the tip remained within Lee, both of them looking down at his wet pink organ. Lee's face was painted red with arousal and embarrassment.

"Answer me, mouse."

He nipped hard at the column of Lee's neck before taking the flesh into his mouth and sucking at it, leaving behind a red bruise.

"Tell this… predator… how it makes… you feel."

Each few words were punctuated by another inch sliding _back_ into Lee.

"Feels so… good!"

He wrapped his legs around Gaara's waist, trying to pull him in deeper than the redhead was currently allowing.

"Want so much more!"

"And if I deny you that?"

He threatened, and it _was_ a threat, as he began to pull out once more before even entering fully.

Lee used every muscle in his legs and lower back as well as his shoulders to turn the tables, taking top once more, they shoulders bumping against the wall as they did so. Lee gasped as he shoved himself down entirely onto Gaara's length, throwing his head back as he gave a shout of bliss. He used his legs to pull himself up and slam himself down, setting an erratic pace while all his lover did was grasp onto his hips and make their coming together all the more intense.

He rotated his head along his neck, his arms and legs and entire body quivering as he felt himself wind up He laughed softly down at his lover, the redhead's face contorted with a deep growl set into his lips and eyes dangerously hungry.

"N-Not easy prey , a-am-mmmmuh! I!"

He gave a soft wail as Gaara's length touched a very special spot inside of him. He bit his lip, meeting jaded eyes. He forced himself to slow, just enough. He was not the tease of the relationship, no matter what other's thought. He _loved_ fast and hard, deep and on the very edge of pain. Gaara liked to watch him suffer, giving it to him soft and slow until Lee was nothing more but a wanton unhinged creature beneath his touch before giving them both what they wanted.

Lee, generally, was not a vengeful person… Generally, being the key word.

He smiled as he slowed his bucking hips, lifting one hand to caress Gaara's jaw and tilt it so the redhead was looking to where their bodies meet. Lee, from his position, could not see it. Gaara, however, could see even _more_ than before. He choked, literally, on the cuss word that tried to leave his throat, his gazed fixed on watching himself disappear into Lee and then reappear an even darker color from within the raven haired boy. The longer he watched, the more easy it was to hear the sucking sounds as he slipped back in and then back out.

His hands became like steel on Lee's hips, attempting to speed him up so Gaara could watch this fascinating process in even faster motion.

"….Glorious…"

Lee mewled in the back of his throat, exercising the muscles of his legs to resist Gaara's hands.

"Do you -Uh!-… Th-think so?… Ah, gods…"

He twisted his upper body around, trying to regain that angle that had just made him feel _so_ good.

Gaara let loose a snarl, only increasing his efforts even as he released one hand from Lee's hips to pump the raven boy's length, planning on driving the other to the edge.

Lee cried out, alternating between bucking his hips into Gaara's hand and timing his thrusts onto his length. The harder he tried to have them both, the more furious his pace became until there was no tempo, only a wild beat that had them both standing on the edge of oblivion. Lee toppled over it first, falling into it like a sweet embrace with his head thrown back, his spine arched forward and his essence spurting over their bellies.

"GAA-HAARA!!!"

Gaara's hips bucked up instinctively, his mouth open in panting and his eyes heavy lidded as he came.

"LEE!"

When the inferno in Lee's veins faded just enough, he wilted into Gaara's chest, his body quivering with aftershocks and his legs shaking from the harsh exercise he had just given them.

"… Not easy prey…"

He mumbled sleepily against the redhead's chest, his onyx eyes dazed over with pleasure and his body lax in the aftermath. He almost purred against the redhead's chest, Gaara's length still settled deeply into his body. He loved this feeling… It was more than just being a part of _something_, it was a part of _someone.  
__  
_Gaara wrapped one arm languidly around Lee's shoulders, his eyes at half mast as he stared at the white washed ceiling. "Hn, easy enough… For me… Only me."

Lee smiled against Gaara's chest, spreading his hands over the redhead's pecs as he nuzzled in between them. He gave a low moan as Gaara's length slid out of him of it's own will, his back arching just the smallest bit before h went limp against Gaara once more. "No… Not easy…"

Gaara gave it a moment of contemplation. "… Easy enough for me… Myself… And I."

Lee gave a small chuckle, thumping his hand against Gaara's chest. "I want to sleep…"

"Then do so."

"… Will you be here when I wake up?"

Gaara gave this a true moment of contemplation, staring at the ceiling and stroking Lee's hair as he did so. It was late enough at night… Now that he had tired Lee out, there would be eight hours in which the raven haired boy would rest. Gaara was an insomniac, unable to sleep anymore than two hours a night, no matter how many times Lee tried to tire him out so they could sleep together in the literal sense of the word.

Instead, he had managed to tire himself out into sleeping 16 hours, leaving Gaara to stare at him for the original eight, tease for the next two, savor a cup of coffee for the next three and then out the door by the next two. Lee had, upon realizing how long he had slept in, understood. It had kind of broken his heart that he had failed so miserably Gaara had not even fallen asleep that night, but he had bounced back easily enough, attempting to find other ways and trying time and time again.

He thought about their new rival company, the extremes they had already gone to against the Konoha company and their near destructive plans against his own….

"… Yes…"

Lee smiled happily, though his eyes were closed and the curve of his lips tired.

"Mmm, love you, city boy…"

Gaara waited till he heard the other's breathing level out and deepen.

"… Love you, country mouse…"

His eyes closed as he allowed himself to fall into a semi-meditative state, resting his body even as his mind wondered, pulling a loose blanket over their body before hand.

Lee's lips quirked every so slightly up.

* * *

This was in my scrap folder… I finished it up and now plan to post it. I feel as if I've adopted jekr-dementor2's writing style with this story… I'm not certain why, but it just feels that way.


	9. Model This Song For Me

"I want your voice."

Lee startled to a stop, grocery bags swinging in his hands and surprise on his face as he slowly turned around. Behind him stood a redhead that he was sure he knew, but was not quite sure how… It was most likely that he had seen the other in passing and had never spoken to him.

"I am sorry… but do I know you?"

The redhead didn't answer. Instead, his blue-green eyes narrowed.

"I have been forced to go to your damnable church and listen to that busy body of a minister for two months now-"

"My uncle is not a busy body! He is a great man who speaks to us the kind words of God and reminds us all that we can be forgiven for even the most heinous crimes if only we-"

"I don't care."

His mouth was hanging ajar as his mind was practically swept away by the uncaring tone. One large expressive eyebrow twitched.

"All I care about is that I am becoming increasingly annoyed with what I see every time you stand up and sing."

For a moment, Lee was certain he had just been insulted. Then the redhead continued speaking.

"Because, the moment you stop, the image I see disappears."

That made Lee blink, ebony eyes filled to the brim with confusion as he watched the redhead progress towards him.

"I… I am sorry?"

"No, you're not."

Lee blinked as a roll of duck tape appeared in one of the redhead's hand, very slowly taking a step back as the other progressed a step forward. He knew better than most how to defend himself and others… He just didn't like to unless the situation called for it, or unless he was sparring against someone else.

"What are you doing with that?"

He retreated for every advance the other made.

"I am going to capture you for five hours a day, seven days a week, until I get this image painted."

"What?! Why can you not just ask me to go with you!?"

The redhead blinked, a strip of the tape unrolled in his hands.

"That would be too simple. I need to ensure that you do not escape."

With that, Lee was suddenly a very _tied_ up boy. He squirmed and then began to lash out and kick with his bound legs, attempting to shout through the tape over his lips. He was, for the most part unsuccessful. Once his captor realized that the fireman hold was not going to work two blocks from where Lee had been kidnapped, he switched over to a bridle hold. Lee felt himself flush scarlet, wishing for someone to take notice.

Alas, it was late. The sun had sank some hours ago into a winter night and just about everyone in the country hillside had settled in except for the occasional person.

Lee was unsure whether or not he should even _try_ to think of this.

Some odd minutes later, they arrived at a small cabin at the edge of the woods, appearing haunted and sad with the shade of night and the white of snow cast over it. Wonderfully enough, his captor had a key for the hauntingly sad thing. The inside was no better off, Lee took in as he was carried through the short hall that lead to a small living room and was then taken into a spacey enough bedroom. Everything was darkly colored and not quite welcoming. Everything did, however, look up to date, well intact, and clean. It would have been a nice place to live had it not felt so heavy on his shoulders.

He was dropped unceremoniously onto the large bed, almost making his heart stop in his chest. The redhead left his side to go to that of a canvas that stood facing away from Lee. The redhead put himself before it, looked from Lee back to it, and then walked to Lee's side again.

"I'm going to release you. I need to pose you. I doubt you can sing around a gag."

With that came the painful process of removing duck tape from his body. He was lucky with the legs, seeing as how the tape had only been attacked to the fabric of his skinny jeans. However, the tape around his wrists and over his mouth were not quite so merciful… Especially over his mouth.

Once the gag was gone, he was almost near yelling.

"I can not believe that you kidnapped me! If all it is an image, than you not have gotten someone else!? Surely, you did not have to capture me several feet from my front door!"

The redhead held up three fingers as he went about pushing and pulling at Lee's limps.

"One: It's pathetic to not believe something that is truly happening."

He put down one finger.

"Two: I can't use anyone else when you were my inspiration."

He put down one more.

"Three: I will keep in mind that I was seven feet from your door for when I do not see you on the streets."

That made Lee almost choke on his own spit.

He considered getting up and running out the front door, even if that included a fight. After a moment's thought, he decided against it. He… was curious. He was upset, confused, and pretty sure this was a bad idea. However, he wanted to see how this went…

"Start singing."

Lee blinked, stared at the redhead who did not bother to look up from his canvas.

"Huh?"

"You sang in the choir. Sing. Now."

"Why?"

"Because I need you to sing in order to finish this image in my head."

"… I see… I think…"

"No, you don't. I can hardly see it as it is."

Blue-green eyes flickered to him before dropping back to the canvas.

"Stop talking and start singing."

Lee did as told.

* * *

It had been four days since the redhead first kidnapped him. Instead of telling Lee a time to come over or just walking with him, Lee was always ended up being a victim, tied up with varying objects and then carried to the redhead's home where he was then ordered to sing. He still had no idea what the redhead was drawing. However, he had learned a few things!

He lived on his own, paying his way by his artistic abilities. He had been forced to go to church by his father because he was only 17 and his father had threatened to take away his free will if he did not listen. Lee had yet to learn why the redhead going to his church was so important. He had learned that the redhead's name was Gaara, and that he loved sugar filled coffee.

He had also learned something about himself!… Which would have been a good thing if it had been anything else…

He had a crush on the artist… Was that not hopeless?

"Why have you stopped singing?"

Lee snapped out of his daze, blinking stupidly at Gaara before the words dawned on him. He gave a hasty apology before opening his mouth again, thinking to sing another hymn.

The words were there in his mind, but not on his tongue. He…

Had no urge to sing. Not in the least.

He heaved a sigh.

"I am sorry, Gaara, but I… I do not feel like singing right now… Is it possible to schedule an abduction for tomorrow?"

He teased with a slight and fake smile on his lips. For a long moment, the redhead stared at him from behind his canvas, not amused and not deceived.

"Why is that?"

Lee tilted his head away.

"Why is what?"

"Why is your voice suddenly gone?"

He gave a lame shrug.

"I have been singing quite often lately… Perhaps I have lost the heart for it?"

"No."

The redhead stood from his post and moved to Lee' side, rearranging the white silk over Lee's shoulder so it revealed more honey colored skin. To him, the image was absolutely innocent, an image of an earth angel. It would be the most peaceful of his paintings yet, seeing as how his every other one had revolved around his inner demons.

"People who have a passion for what they do, people like us, do not simply lose the love of their art over night."

He tilted the raven's head up with two fingers, forcing obsidian orbs to stare into his own jade blue eyes.

"What is your real reason?"

Lee stared for a moment, his eyes staring into the darkly shadowed ones and wandering what they would like if they were filled with hunger, desire, love, and lust-…

He blushed a fiery red as he tilted his gaze away. God forgive him, but he could not stop the flow of thoughts now that they had begun.

"It is nothing." He squeaked.

Gaara stared down at him with a bland expression, his eyes narrowing momentarily before something seemed to click in his all too-quick-to-understand mind.

"You find me attractive."

Lee sputtered, wanting to say no but incapable of lying. After a few moments of trying, he stopped his pointless babbling and fell silent, jerking his chin from the other's hand and biting into his bottom lip.

"… Would you like me… to leave?"

The other seemed intrigued by the question, though it only showed in how the other's eyelashes flickered for a moment.

"Why? The painting isn't finished. There's no point in your leaving before then."

Lee bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.

"… And then you never wish to see me again?"

This time, Gaara seemed to get annoyed, his lips twitching downwards as he stroke his pointer finger down the column of Lee's neck.

"And then I would occasionally seek your company. I do not do so often, so realize what an offer I'm making you before you go on looking like an abandoned dog."

Lee blinked, a slight shiver working down his spine at the caress even as he looked shyly back into jade blue eyes.

"… You are not upset that I find you… attractive?… That I am inclined that way?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed on him.

"What you are or aren't is your choice. There is no point for me to step in and demand otherwise when what you are is what inspired me. Now sing, you fool."

Lee laughed, both out of relief and the 'endearing' title. He smiled light heartedly up at Gaara, his shoulders straightening back into pose somewhat as he fell back into the stance he had had to keep for hours at a time over the few days.

"Yes, boss!"

Gaara blinked, having such innocent infatuation smiling at him a little distorting. Having Lee refer to him as Boss, someone who was in charge of another, gave him a dark shiver down his spine. Oh, he liked that.

He stroked back onyx black hair, his tongue sweeping over his top lip as the thought became a very arousing one.

"Just pose and sing, Lee… That's all I require from you…"

'_for now…'_

The thought was voiced with a growl and purr mixed, a dark and empowering presence in Gaara's mind as lust stretched out it's claws and possessiveness reached out as well.

… He never had shared well. Even if Lee was just a man to pose for a song…

'_for now….'_

* * *

_Jekr-dementor2, this was the closest I could get to the prompt you gave me… I'm sorry. *shrug* I hope the kidnapping makes up for the fact that I never really included the church in it. I just don't do well with Christianity. _


End file.
